There is virtually nothing that a Food safety consultant can do that you would prefer them to do on your behalf than look at your facility as a CFIA inspector would look at it. This external view frequently plays the role of a clean audit versus an audit that has a Corrective Action Request at the end. It is in this way that support takes you there.
What Does a CFIA Audit Actually Check?
CFIA inspectors compare your operation to the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, with many commodities compared using tools such as the Compliance Verification System (CVS). Common audit areas are:
- Preventive Control Plan (PCP) documentation and implementation.
- Critical Control Point (CCP) monitoring and critical limits.
- Sanitation records and pre-operational inspection records.
- Accuracy in allergen control and labelling.
- Records of supplier approval and traceability.
- Control pest and facility maintenance records.
These are systemically reviewed by the inspectors, and any gaps in any of them could lead to the occurrence of a non-compliance result.
How Does a Food Safety Consultant Prepare You Before the Audit?
A consultant will usually conduct a simulated inspection within the same framework that CFIA will. This means:
- Checking your PCP line line by line with the current regulatory requirements.
- Taking a stroll around the floor of the facility as an inspector would do, with a flashlight.
- Ensuring that monitoring records and what occurs on the line are, in fact, the same.
- Confirming supplier and traceability records is complete and accessible.
- Marking any CCP where your critical limits are out of date or vague
It is not about passing a practice test but discovering all the gaps when there is time to rectify them.
Why Does This Matter More Than Just “Being Compliant”?
On-paper and on-the-fly compliance aren’t necessarily equal. The only way to bridge that gap is to make sure that the staff are able to justify their own procedures when asked a question, not whether the binder looks good on a shelf.
What transpires when auditing with the assistance of a consultant?
There are lots of food safety consultants who provide on-site assistance to the inspection process. Practically, this would be:
- Being available to respond to procedural/ documentation questions with your team.
- Assisting in making results understandable in the moment, prior to committing them to paper.
- Ensuring that any small problems are solved at the point where feasible.
- Making notes about the inspector’s comments to make a follow-up plan.
The presence of a person in the room who has sat above these audits alters the way the day runs smoothly.
How Does a Consultant Help If You Receive a Corrective Action Request Anyway?
A Corrective Action Request (CAR) is sometimes given even to well-prepared businesses. In case that occurs, a consultant can assist you in answering the correct response initially by:
- Formatting the root-cause analysis in the format desired by CFIA.
- Writing down the containment, assessment, and verification processes.
- Ensuring the corrective measure is actually doing the job and not merely stated to have been done.
- You can update your PCP to ensure that the same gap does not occur the next time you have an inspection.
Final Thoughts
It is seldom about luck to pass a CFIA audit. It is about having the knowledge of what an inspector will audit and making sure that your documentation and daily practice are up to the test. The inspector himself is often the last person to see the inspector-eye view, which is brought by a Food Safety consultant – it is usually the single largest ingredient to avoid a Corrective Action Request.
When your business has an inspection scheduled, or just as a way to avoid more surprises on audit day, then the team of ex-CFIA inspectors at CFCA can inspect your facility and PCP first. Call CFCA now to get a pre-inspection check.
FAQs
- When hiring a food safety consultant, how long should I do it before an audit?
At least four to six weeks’ notice, allowing enough time to correct any loopholes identified by a mock inspection prior to the actual one taking place.
2. Food safety consultant: Can he assure me that I will pass my CFIA audit?
No consultant will give an assurance, but a pre-audit review will go a long way in reducing the chances of a Corrective Action Request.
3. Is a food safety consultant necessary for small food businesses?
Yes. Smaller operations may also have a leaner team and less regulatory experience in-house, and hence, external review is equally worthwhile.
4. What’s the difference between a food safety consultant and a CFIA inspector?
A consultant serves your company to get you ready; a CFIA inspector serves the government to check compliance on its own.
