Planning product quality checks for recurring deliveries

Plan checks when approving a product, receiving stock, assembling each box and investigating complaints. Write down what passes, what must be held and who can release stock. Apply the same standard each cycle, even when the selection changes.

Specify each product

Record the approved product and variant, intended use, packaging condition, required labels or instructions, and date or shelf-life requirements where relevant. Define defects that make a unit unacceptable. A product name alone may not reveal a changed size, material or formulation.

Before supplying a product in Australia, check whether an applicable mandatory safety or information standard or ban affects it. Requirements are product-specific. ACCC Product Safety advises checking compliance when sourcing and obtaining relevant testing or supplier evidence. A general box checklist cannot establish that a particular product complies.

Key Regulatory Requirements for Product Safety in Australia

Inspect incoming stock

Compare each delivery with the approved specification: variant, quantity, packaging, visible condition, batch identifiers where present and required supporting documents. Hold unexplained differences or stock lacking required evidence until they are resolved. Record the check and release decision.

Choose inspection and testing methods for the product and risk. Sampling can help assess a larger lot, but it cannot show that every unit is sound. A visual inspection cannot replace a required safety test.

Check that any test report covers the correct stock and relevant standard. ACCC Product Safety says a pre-production sample test is generally not enough without further quality assurance, and testing may be required where a mandatory standard applies.

Check each finished box

Use the current contents specification to check products, quantities and variants. Look for missing, damaged or leaking units, and confirm that required labels and instructions remain with the product. Check protection for the packed combination. Australia Post advises choosing packaging that fits the item without being too loose or too tight, using durable packaging and securing it with heavy-duty packing tape.

Keep the finished-box check distinct from product compliance evidence. Finding every promised item in a parcel does not establish that the items meet a mandatory standard.

Trace and resolve exceptions

Set a hold rule before packing: identify affected stock and boxes, record the batch and cycle, and name the person who can approve a corrected product or substitute. Link complaints to the relevant product and batch, then review other potentially affected stock. ACCC Product Safety recommends complaint handling and written records as parts of a compliance program.

If a box contains food, check the applicable food and labelling requirements separately. Food Standards Australia New Zealand says specified allergens must be declared in plain English where its labelling rules apply. The product, ingredients and packaging circumstances determine the exact checks; a general claim that a food is allergen-free requires its own support.

Review recurring defects by product and supplier, then revise the specification or inspection step that failed to catch them.