Food Safety Audits: What to Expect During a Certification

Food safety audits are a fundamental step on the path to certification by an international food safety organization such as BRC or IFS. Here is what food manufacturers seeking certification for the first time need to know about the audit process.

Third-party food safety certification is increasingly becoming a necessity for food manufacturers who want to operate on an international level. Since food law and the rigor with which it is enforced can vary from region to region, international food safety certifiers use audits to determine whether a company's food safety system is adequate and effective. If it is found that the food safety system is ineffective, audits form the basis for determining the steps the company must take to comply with regulations and obtain certification.

How does a food safety audit work?

One of the first and most important steps on the path to certification by an international food safety regulatory authority is conducting an on-site audit. In a process that typically takes at least two working days, a food safety auditor representing the certification program travels to the food production facility and conducts a personal assessment of potential hazards and critical control points. This involves inspecting the production line itself as well as reviewing the documentation relevant to food safety.

Based on this initial visit, the auditor then creates a list of requirements that the food manufacturer must meet to obtain certification. The list also includes recommendations for further action. Common steps that food manufacturers must take to become certified by international food safety regulatory authorities include:

Conducting food safety training workshops for employees
Hiring a manager trained in food safety systems
Replacing or repairing equipment and parts that are not suitable for contact with food
Installing additional equipment and systems for product control and contamination detection at critical control points along the production line
Installing automatic temperature monitoring devices
Implementing and documenting an approved sterilization protocol
System updates for any quality control software
Documenting the safety of materials that come into contact with food
Implementing a comprehensive protocol for recording and documentation
Establishing an effective internal audit system

After the food manufacturer has made the necessary changes to its food safety management system, the audit company may conduct a series of follow-up checks. Once compliance is confirmed, the food manufacturer receives its certification.

How long does it take to obtain an international food safety certificate?

The Global Food Safety Initiative estimates that the approval process for their internationally recognized food safety certification programs takes an average of six to nine months from the first audit to the issuance of the certification. IFS also provides a practical online calculator that allows food manufacturers to estimate the minimum duration of their initial audit for IFS Food Certification 6.1.

How much does the international food safety certification cost?

The costs for food safety certification by an external auditing company depend on the size of the production facilities and the scope of the production process. For the first on-site audit, food manufacturers should expect expenses between 5,000 and 10,000 US dollars, not including additional travel expenses.

After completing the first audit, food manufacturers must finance the adjustment measures required to comply with regulations. These include both one-time costs, such as the purchase and installation of additional equipment for process control, and ongoing costs, such as hiring an internal manager for food safety systems. The total expenses depend heavily on how well a company is prepared for certification.

After being approved for food safety certification, food manufacturers must also pay the fees for ongoing inspections and annual recertification.

Overview of the on-site auditing process

As soon as a food safety auditor begins an on-site visit, they must complete five different phases before leaving the company:

Role distribution and notification of participants - Upon arrival, the auditor determines the parties responsible for overseeing their visit and accessing the information, operational areas, documents, and all persons required for the audit. Additional observers from the food manufacturer may also be present during the audit. These roles should be distributed in a way that does not influence the audit, and all involved should be explicitly informed of their role.
Opening meeting - The auditor briefly informs all involved about the purpose of their visit, the methods they will use to audit the operation, and any prerequisites for a successful audit.
Gathering information - The auditor gathers information about regulatory compliance and the food safety culture in this company through various methods, such as on-site observation, random testing, process simulations, employee interviews, and document review.
Evaluation of information - The auditor compares the collected information with the food safety criteria set out in the certification program to assess whether the operation meets these requirements. They then formulate their findings and determine what steps, if any, need to be taken to meet the requirements.
Closing meeting - The auditor presents a summary of their findings to the responsible parties. They also give the food manufacturer the opportunity to ask questions and provide recommendations for further action.

After the on-site audit, a detailed audit report is created. This report contains a complete overview of the scope of the audit, what was observed, which food safety criteria were met and which were not, as well as areas where improvements are possible.

Internal Food Audits

In addition to on-site audits by representatives of the certification organization, international food safety certification programs often also require food production facilities to have an internal audit program. Below is a brief overview of the internal audit requirements of two leading international certification organizations, the International Featured Standards (IFS) and the British Retail Consortium Global Standards (BRC).

IFS V7: Internal Audit Requirements

An effective internal audit system is a mandatory requirement for IFS Version 7, meaning compliance with the requirements is necessary to obtain certification. The scope and frequency of internal audits should be based on a risk assessment (5.1.1), and each department must be audited by a competent person independent of the department (5.1.3).

The results of internal audits, including any corrective actions, must be communicated to management and the entities responsible for the audited activities. All corrective actions must be reviewed (5.1.4).

Areas to be audited include production and storage areas, external areas, process-related controls, ongoing hygiene protocols, and foreign body hazards (5.2.1). Additionally, the company's HACCP plan must be reviewed at least once a year, in part through internal audits (2.2.3.8.5)

BRC 8: Internal Audit Requirements

BRC Version 8 requires a planned internal audit program with at least four annual audits covering all activities at least once a year. The exact frequency of audits for each activity must be based on a risk assessment, and the scope of the audits must include prerequisite programs such as pest control, food fraud prevention programs, and all procedures implemented to comply with BRC (3.4.1). Internal audits are also considered a means of confirming the effectiveness of the company's HACCP plan (2.12.1).

Internal auditors must be appropriately trained and sufficiently independent of the department they are auditing (3.4.2). They should document both conformities and non-conformities, attach objective evidence for the findings, and forward the results to the responsible entities (3.4.3).

In addition, separate inspections for hygiene (cleaning, building maintenance) and equipment performance must be conducted and documented at least once a month (3.4.4).

Conclusions

As the global food supply chain becomes more complex each year, international certification programs and the audits they conduct for food safety play an important role in protecting consumer health and the image of companies worldwide.

For many companies in the food industry, certification by international food safety auditors is a time- and resource-intensive endeavor that may require the revision of many aspects of their production line. However, the short-term costs associated with third-party food safety certification pale in comparison to the long-term positive impacts. The results of an initial food safety audit provide companies with valuable insights into their processes and food safety management system, as well as concrete feedback on where they can be improved. Furthermore, once companies meet the requirements and obtain certification, they can gain access to lucrative international markets and leading global players in the food industry.