Food Safety Audit Tips
May 1, 2007 In any segment of the food industry, auditing is a fact of life. Customer demands, government regulations, evolving industry standards, and media attention due to recent recalls within the processing segment are just a few reasons that audits can be required. Several segments of the food industry (such as meat, poultry, and seafood) experience the thrill of preparing for audits as part of routine operations on a daily basis.
Get Organized
First of all, assign an audit coordinator that can remain proactive throughout the entire audit preparation and inspection process. Seize this opportunity for improvement rather than view it as a daunting and inconvenient task, and make the time to prepare. Focusing on the task and averting panic mode will enable your team to better prepare for the audit. Continual improvement will facilitate handling future inspections with ease.
It is imperative to collect as much information about the audit expectations, guidelines, and necessary forms as possible. The FDA provides guidance to the produce industry in their recently updated “Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards of Fresh-cut Fruits and Vegetables” online at www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/prodgui3.html, a must-have for any operation.
Also, numerous universities provide a wealth of information regarding fruit and vegetable food safety via the Internet, and several well-known produce-auditing entities provide their audit guidelines and manuals for free online. As you peruse the vast amount of information that is readily available, you can now develop or upgrade your existing audit forms for food safety and auditing success.
You should also conduct your own internal audit to address obvious “opportunities” for improvement throughout the processing and packing operations, written programs, and records. In addition to conducting an internal audit, many suppliers will contract an independent third-party consulting firm to provide guidance through the audit preparation process. However, the ultimate responsibility for the meeting the audit expectations lies with you.
Understand The Process
Now that preliminary preparation activities have been covered, a few other items are worth mentioning to help you get through the audit. Try to cater to the auditors’ schedule, as continual procrastination can put up a red flag that you are not prepared. Make sure to schedule the audit on a day that production is up and running, as there is great frustration for the auditor to show up and production is down. It is to your advantage to be aware of recent food-safety hot topics within your industry that can demonstrate your dedication to producing the safest products possible.
Prior to the audit, conduct a final internal audit based on the official audit form to address any last-minute deficiencies. Make sure to organize as much of the necessary documentation related to the audit forms as possible, and have those available in a conference room or office for the auditor to work in. Have knowledgeable management personnel available to discuss questions and retrieve any previously unrequested documentation.
Stay with the auditor at all times and make sure you understand each of the deficiencies as they are noted. Keep your own notebook handy to begin developing a corrective actions list as the audit progresses. If you can make a correction while the auditor is on site, do it. After you have received your final audit report, return your corrective action plan and completed tasks as quickly as possible.
Lastly, remember every auditor has different strengths and areas of expertise, so it is to your advantage to be familiar with every aspect of your operation to accommodate them. A proactive stance will contribute heavily to your company’s success.
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