Food Engineering logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • MEDIA
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
  • RESOURCES
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Latest Headlines
  • Manufacturing News
  • People & Industry News
  • Plant Openings
  • Recalls
  • Regulatory Watch
  • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
  • New Plant Products
  • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
  • Alternative Protein
  • Automation
  • Cannabis
  • Cleaning | Sanitation
  • Fabulous Food Plants
  • Food Safety
  • Maintenance Strategies
  • OEE
  • Packaging
  • Sustainability
  • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Plant Construction Survey
  • Plant of the Year
  • Sustainable Plant of the Year
  • State of Food Manufacturing
  • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • White Papers
  • EVENTS
  • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
  • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
  • eNewsletter
  • Custom Content & Marketing Services
  • FE Store
  • Government Links
  • Industry Associations
  • Market Research
  • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issue
  • Advertise
Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Cleaning | SanitationFood Safety

Food Safety

Is preparing for third-party audits an oxymoron?

By Richard F. Stier
column
April 8, 2014

A friend of mine recently referred to the phrase “preparing for a third-party audit” as oxymoronic, and I agree with him, in part. Food processors should be ready for an audit at all times, whether the audit is announced or unannounced. Once a processor’s food safety management system has been developed, documented and implemented—including verification activities, worker education and training, and programs to ensure continuous improvement—the company should not need any preparation. Why? The audits developed by organizations such as AIB, Silliker Labs and others are basically GMP and food safety audits, and processors should be operating under these food safety protocols day in and day out.

However, if a processor is undergoing a first-time Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) audit or is committed to becoming ISO 22000 certified, preparing for an audit is necessary. But preparing for an audit means different things to different companies. Some conduct a complete review of procedures and work instructions, and sometimes rewrite many of them. Others may prepare for an audit by shutting down the plant. Shutdowns allow processors to conduct heavy cleaning, maintenance and other activities. A sure sign that a facility has shut down in preparation for the audit is the smell of fresh paint.

Many years back, I conducted an unannounced audit of a plant at the request of the company’s quality group. One finding was that the company shut down for a full week prior to all scheduled audits. There was also evidence that management was letting things slide somewhat, assuming they could fix problems prior to the audit. My recommendation to the corporate staff was they no longer announce third-party audits in the hope this would keep people on their toes. It worked.

Several years later, I saw the plant’s quality manager at a meeting. He told me things improved dramatically once they made a commitment to maintaining the quality, safety and sanitation programs rather than preparing for the audits. He also said the plant’s productivity had improved because the pre-audit shutdowns had been eliminated.

Preparing for an audit not only can adversely affect productivity, it can be very dangerous if the organization decides to rework its procedures. For example, if an audit is scheduled for March 1, and staff members work frantically to update procedures through the last days of February, where is the time to get the new protocols properly implemented?

Plus, when the audit starts on March 1, any good auditor will look not only at procedures, but also the dates. If he or she is shown a revised protocol dated February 28, the obvious questions will be: “Has this revised protocol been implemented?” and “Have employees been trained on the revised protocol?” All too often, the answer to each question will be no, which means the company is not following its documented protocols.

Consequently, if a processor intends to revise, update or create new procedures or work instructions, it should allow enough time to train its workers and implement the protocols, prior to the audit. The processor also must be sure everything—revisions, training and activities—is properly documented and verify the changes were implemented and effective.

For processors, the greatest challenge with third-party audits may be that they are often a moving target. Audit firms, GFSI, certification bodies and others are either constantly modifying their audit schemes or how they are interpreted. One manufacturer recently told me that the company was marked down in an audit because the procedure did not use the “expected language.”

 Preparation is essential and necessary when a company adopts a new audit scheme. For instance, companies that have made a commitment to adopt ISO 22000 indicate they usually work for a year or more to develop, document, implement and maintain the system. (This includes worker education and training, and verifying the programs are not only working as designed but are effective.) However, once a company has gotten its systems in place, there should be minimal, if any, preparation for audits. If management is committed to maintaining the systems, then all should be well.   

KEYWORDS: audit food safety management

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Richard stier 200px
Richard Stier is a consulting food scientist who has helped food processors develop safety, quality and sanitation programs. He believes in emphasizing the importance of how these programs can help companies increase profits. Stier holds degrees in food science from Rutgers University and the University of California at Davis. He is a Contributing Editor for Food Engineering. Email: rickstier4@aol.com

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    With a CAGR of 12.07%, Bonafide Research estimates this...
    Latest headlines
  • skilled MEP worker

    Predicting Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends for 2024

    The two words that should be kept in mind are labor and...
    Automation
    By: Derrick Teal
  • cleaning and sanitation

    The basics of cleaning and sanitation in food plants

    Sanitation maintains or restores a state of cleanliness...
    Food Safety
    By: Richard F. Stier
Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

OT Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Food Manufacturing Facilities

OT Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Food Manufacturing Facilities

Understanding Impacts of OT Cybersecurity Events in Food Manufacturing

Understanding Impacts of OT Cybersecurity Events in Food Manufacturing

Food Plant Openings and Expansions April 2025

Food Plant Openings and Expansions April 2025

FA&M 2025 in Rewind

FA&M 2025 in Rewind

More Videos

Popular Stories

Conagra Logo

Conagra Brands to Sell Chef Boyardee Brand to Hometown Food Company

Salt

FDA to Amend Standards of Identity to Include Salt Substitutes

Vilter IHP in plant

Industrial Heat Pumps: Sustainable Energy Solutions for Now and the Future

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative ProteinAutomationCleaning/SanitationFabulous Food Plants

Food SafetyMaintenance StrategiesOEE

PackagingSustainability

Events

June 5, 2025

Mass Customization Driving Innovation in the Food and Beverage Industry

The food and beverage industry is at the nexus of transformative global manufacturing trends, driving a shift toward personalized, customer-centric solutions. 

June 5, 2025

How Cafe Spice Uses Automation to Propel Private Label

Learn about Cafe Spice’s new, state-of-the-art, highly automated manufacturing facility in Beacon, New York. 

View All Submit An Event

Products

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

Plant of the Year

Related Articles

  • Food Safety: The trouble with third-party audits

    See More
  • food safety audit

    Do third-party audits need a revision?

    See More
  • Open water on third party audits

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • food engineering.jpg

    Handbook of Food Engineering, Third Edition

  • food crime.jpg

    Food Crime: An Introduction to Deviance in the Food Industry

  • statical.jpg

    Statistical Process Control for the Food Industry: A Guide for Practitioners and Managers

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!