Elements and Performance Criteria
- Plan the audit
- Develop an audit plan to meet the audit scope
- Ensure the plan is capable of delivering the required outcomes within resource and time allocations
- Ensure the plan includes audit purpose, scope and relevant templates or approved food safety program
- Identify activities and responsibilities for the audit
- Identify audit timing, including timetable for each stage of the audit
- Identify resource, personnel and reporting requirements
- Identify follow-up and completion procedures
- Identify and establish communication protocols to facilitate the effective exchange of information and suited to the auditee environment
- Confirm that the food business has documented required preliminary work
- Confirm the food safety program is supported by a tool or template or has been validated
- Assess the documented food safety program and related procedures and prerequisite programs to confirm that they have a prescriptive tool or have been validated by a technical expert
- Review the food business’s method of identifying and analysing food safety hazards
- Select templates, or the approved food safety program, to meet audit scope
- Adapt templates, or the approved food safety program, to suit the needs of the business without adversely affecting food safety
- Review documented verification records to confirm that the requirements of the food safety program are being met
- Assess corrective actions required, where processes are identified as not meeting targets or critical limits, to confirm they meet the requirements of the template or food safety program
- Assess food safety prerequisite programs to confirm they are appropriate for the food business or industry sector to maintain a safe food environment
- Review food safety program documents to confirm currency, accuracy and adequacy to facilitate maintenance of an adequate food safety program
- Collect evidence to review and assess implementation of food safety programs
- Collect evidence to confirm that documented programs and procedures are working effectively, reflect actual practice and are consistently applied
- Collect evidence to confirm that food safety monitoring and corrective actions are carried out according to procedure
- Collect evidence to confirm that safety prerequisite programs are effective and consistently followed
- Collect evidence to confirm that food safety records are completed and provide an accurate record of events
- Collect evidence to confirm that records are accessed and analysed to confirm effective program maintenance according to the template or food safety program
- Collect evidence to confirm that food safety skills and knowledge of food business personnel is commensurate with their work role
- Collect evidence to confirm that the food safety program has been internally monitored and assessed, updated and improved by a technical expert
- Manage the audit process
- Monitor audit progress against the audit plan, and identify and address any variation to plan
- Identify and negotiate circumstances requiring the audit plan to be adjusted in a timely manner
- Ensure audit addresses audit scope and is conducted within time and resource constraints to meet quality and professional standards
- Review the audit process to identify opportunities for improvement
- Consolidate audit outcomes
- Analyse and assess audit evidence to identify any areas of non-compliance with legislation and/or the food safety program
- Identify and classify non-conformities as agreed by the audit plan
- Report non-conformities according to agreed client and/or legislative requirements
- Prepare and submit audit reports and/or certificates or present as required to meet regulatory and client requirements
- Ensure a corrective action implementation plan defining proposed actions and timelines developed by the auditee is reviewed to confirm that template or food safety program requirements are met
- Review audit findings to confirm that evidence is sufficient as defined by the template or approved food safety program
- Confirm and close out corrective actions
- Monitor and verify implementation and effectiveness of corrective action against the template or the approved food safety program
- Maintain audit records to record corrective actions
- Develop an audit plan to meet the audit scope
- Ensure the plan is capable of delivering the required outcomes within resource and time allocations
- Ensure the plan includes audit purpose, scope and relevant templates or approved food safety program
- Identify activities and responsibilities for the audit
- Identify audit timing, including timetable for each stage of the audit
- Identify resource, personnel and reporting requirements
- Identify follow-up and completion procedures
- Identify and establish communication protocols to facilitate the effective exchange of information and suited to the auditee environment