For some of the larger companies, they're going to push. That third party certification is their insurance. However, I can't stress enough the importance of understanding that those certifications are a snapshot of what's happening at the facility and that they are only as good as the competency of that auditor during that audit.
Yes, the U.S. has started to weigh heavily on third party audits, as well, as a function of meeting the Food Safety Modernization Act requirements. These audits are going to have to be conducted. Without getting a new set of eyes into the facility and doing the walkthroughs and the traceability exercises, and challenging the quality management systems, you only have what the government can.... Do you guys have enough boots on the ground to do your own audits?
It's one thing for a big retailer to say in their policy that they require third party certification but who's auditing that they're meeting those requirements? Who's taking a closer look at the audit results as well?