Preparing
for an Audit
Why do I need an audit?
Food safety has been in the headlines lately.
It is top of mind for everyone in the industry. In fact, some on-farm food safety
programs may require your farm to go through an audit to reassure buyers and consumers
about the safety of your product(s).
By passing an audit you:
- instil confidence in your customers by demonstrating due diligence
- gain
a competitive edge
- protect yourself if a food-borne illness is suspected
of coming from your farm.
What is the purpose of an audit?
- To assess how well you meet program standards or vendor requirements
- To
assure you have properly implemented your food safety program and are complying
with its requirements.
- To spot problems or concerns and prevent them from
re-occurring.
What happens during an audit?
1. You
receive an audit notice. The auditor may send you a notice in advance
to arrange your audit. This notice may also explain the audit and how to prepare.
2.
The auditor will visit your farm on the date you choose. During
an on-farm audit, the auditor may:
- Fill out a farm profile with you.
This requires information such as your farm's legal name, address, phone/fax numbers,
email, manager, etc. Have this information ready at hand.
- Review your
food safety program with you. The auditor may ask you to present the program that
you use. He or she will want to see if the information you have is up to date.
- Review
your records. This is an important part of an audit. The auditor will want to
see all the records that your on-farm food safety or vendor program requires you
to keep. Examples: water test and treatment results, chemical and drug use records,
required written practices.
- Inspect your farm. The auditor may tour your
farm to inspect your equipment and buildings. They will look to see: Do you have
proper places for hand washing? Is your operation clean? Are there any pests present?
Any holes in walls? Any other concerns?
- Interview you or your workers.
The auditor may want to ask you or your workers questions about your farm.
3.
Provide you with an audit report. After your on-farm audit, you
may ask for a copy of the report. The report will tell you what areas scored well
and what areas you need to improve to comply fully with your food safety program.
If
everything is in order, congratulations! You will pass the audit.
How do
I prepare for an audit?
First, know the scope of the audit. For example,
does it include your farm, your packinghouse, or both? Is it just for food safety
or quality as well? Will it review how well you are meeting your customer's needs,
or just food safety?
Here are seven more tips to help you prepare:
-
Review your program manual, or the audit standards before the audit.
-
Review the audit checklist if there is one. It will guide you through what the
audit will cover.
- Have all the records you need at hand. Most audits
ask for records going back up to a year.
- Check your premises for food
safety concerns by using the program manual or audit checklist as a reference.
This includes both equipment and buildings. Look for things like holes in the
wall, facilities for hand washing, light covers, chemical and medicine storage
and so on. Fix the problems you spot before the audit.
- Clean your premises.
This includes floors, contact surfaces, equipment and garbage.
- Review
your last audit report if you have one. Make sure that you have fixed any concerns
that came up at that time.
- Ask for tips and advice from friends who
have been through an audit or on-farm food safety experts. This is important if
you find it hard to understand the program standards, or on how to meet them.
Remember:
the goal of the audit is not to fail you, but to help you improve food safety
on your farm. It will help you fix any concerns before they become problems. It
will also help you prevent problems from recurring.
In the end, an audit
gives you a competitive edge. And, it increases your customers' confidence in
the food products you sell. It can be one of the best investments you make in
your farm's future.
