Complaints, Traceability and Product Recalls

All fertilizer products on the European market must conform to specific quality requirements set by the authorities. These are described in the Fertilizer Product Regulation (FPR). In addition, customers set requirements for their purchases in relation to product nutrient contents and product quality characteristics. Companies shall have quality assurance procedures to document the required characteristics, and carry out the necessary sampling and laboratory analyses accordingly. Operations must include best practice handling routines to avoid any deterioration of product quality along the distribution chain. The procedures should also cover the following:

• Complaints handling system to respond to complaints from customers, distributors and service providers
• Batch traceability system to enable tracing of a batch of manufactured products at all stages of the product life chain, e.g. for recalling a faulty material from the market or for isolation of a reject material
• Product recall system for recalling of products from the market if necessary
• Handling of emergency calls from customers, service providers, and from the public at large.