The third set of eyes is an extremely valuable asset in food plants. That third set of eyes could be the auditor, a consultant or someone from the corporate offices. Unfortunately, far too many processors look at the third-party audit as a necessary evil and something that they must “pass.”
I have done audits where the first question the company asked was, “What do I need to pass?” These operators are truly unclear on the concept. Audits should be looked at as a means to improve; the third set of eyes should be there helping to identify how to do things better or, in other words, continuous improvement.