Food Safety Management System Audit Checklist

Maintaining SQF certification requires an intensive audit process. Your food safety documentation must demonstrate its relevance, organization, and effectiveness in meeting regulatory standards.

This self-assessment checklist can assist in your preparation for an audit, and help to verify that your FSMS meets international standards before being audited for certification.

Prepare for the Audit
An audit preparation checklist is one of the key elements in successfully passing a food safety management system audit, helping ensure all necessary documents are organized and ready for an inspector to review.

Documents needed to support compliance must include monitoring forms and checklists, verification documents, progress reports and resolution of non-conformances. They should be easily accessible to auditors for review.

Additionally, all personnel should understand and participate in audit preparation processes to create a positive culture within your team and increase understanding of food safety as an aspect of daily work life. Doing this may reduce stress for an audit process as well as lead to more efficient and successful audit results.

Perform a Self-Assessment
Self-assessments are an essential step in preparing for a food safety audit, helping identify areas in need of improvement that an inspector might find.

Communicate the results of your assessment to management. Although it may not be pleasant to learn that your operation has blind spots, it is far better for management to know this through internal assessment (and take appropriate corrective actions) rather than finding them through inspection by third-parties.

An electronic self-assessment system makes it easy to keep an up-to-date overview of your FSMS at all times, making preparation for inspections simpler, and guaranteeing comprehensive evaluation reports.

Communicate with Your Audit Team
Regular internal audits help employees incorporate food safety practices into their everyday routine, and help identify any potential issues before an external or third-party audit occurs. A smart Food Safety Management system can enable you to set up regular internal audits that are so straightforward, staff members can perform them without supervision.

Acquiring and maintaining SQF certification involves more than aligning your Food Safety Management System (FSMS) with international standards; it requires an all-encompassing management solution that provides efficiency, accurate data, and timely decision-making. Inecta Food ERP is one such comprehensive management solution which helps create and implement IFS audit checklists and conduct layered process audits – give it a try now to see how it can make your food business stronger! Schedule a demo now!

Document Corrective Actions
Documenting any corrective actions you have taken prior to preparing for a food safety management system audit is the final step in preparation, helping you avoid potential issues during an actual audit. Prior to documenting corrective action taken against nonconformities or issues that have surfaced. Furthermore, its critical to identify their source as well as define severity – these two components will determine further steps taken in corrective processes.

Food businesses must demonstrate to both their consumers and any applicable regulatory bodies that products bearing their label are safe for consumption, an often daunting task that’s essential for maintaining compliance and protecting customer health. An audit checklist can help streamline this monitoring and documentation process, saving both time and resources in the process.

Continuous Improvement
As you progress towards SQF certification, it is vital to maintain and enhance your food safety management system in order to stay abreast of food laws and regulations while preventing audit violations that could prove costly.

Food safety audits cover many areas, but one of the key ones is sanitation and cleaning practices. This involves verifying that you have sufficient handwashing facilities available at your facility as well as an efficient system in place for maintaining clean equipment, utensils, and food preparation areas.

Documentation and communication are two essential areas. This involves developing procedures to record and track issues, identify training needs, and verifying all employees receive proper instruction. Your team should regularly review both operational PRPs (Procedure Recall Plans) and HACCP plans as part of this review process.