Food Safety Audit

What is a food safety audit?

A food safety audit is a systematic, independent, and documented activity in which objective evidence is collected and evaluated to determine if a food safety system is suitable and effective. On average, the process takes around 3 hours; however, this can vary depending on the organisation’s size.

Food audits are performed across the entire food industry umbrella, from primary production through to retail.

The different types of Food audits explained

Within the food manufacturing and processing industry, there are three main categories of food audits:

• First party – Sometimes called an internal audit, the internal auditing resource or employees perform a first-party audit within your organisation.
• Second party – This type of audit is performed by an organisation with a pre-existing relationship, usually a supplier, customer, or contractor.
• Third-party – A third-party audit is carried out by an external organisation that has no direct relationship with the auditee, usually an independent body or auditing company.

The type of food audit performed will depend entirely on the organisation’s internal processes and the regulatory requirements they must adhere to.