In 2020 Chipotle Mexican Grill paid $25,000,000 for food safety violations.
Food safety audits are a challenging but compulsory part of any business in the foodservice industry. They are not designed to give you stress but to help you, your staff, and your business stays safe. An audit looks at whether your foodservice company complies with all the regulations defined by your local authority.
If you have an upcoming audit and are looking for some tips on how to prepare, then keep reading this article. We have some great advice on being ready to pass that audit with flying colors.
Build a Food Safe Culture
Work closely with your team to build a food safety culture that fully understands the health and safety codes and why you must follow them. It is not enough to just be able to repeat the codes themselves, and you want your staff to understand why they are essential and what the real risks could be to themselves and others if they are not.
Keep your team fully trained and well-communicated with at all times. This will allow them not to panic when an audit takes place and make silly mistakes. Allow your staff to get the proper certification and credentials that will encourage them to feel secure in themselves and give them the knowledge to do their job safely and help others. This will boost their morale and empower them to feel confident that they know what needs to be done and how to do it.
Get Your Records in Order
Your records need to be impeccable when the auditor comes to call. You do not want to be digging around trying to find the correct checklists, logs, and maintenance records at the last minute. Prepare by having an organized record-keeping system and make sure you have all your documents.
This should include any training certifications, maintenance records, cooking logs, cooling logs, and cleaning checklists. Also, if you have copies of previous audits, keep them readily available. It will reassure your auditor that you are on top of everything and that you can manage a safe environment.
Learn and Develop Your Skills
Not all food safety audits are going to be perfect. There will always be something that you can learn from and build on in the future. So when the audit is over and the food safety auditor has delivered their verdict take some time to review it.
Learning to evaluate yourself, your team, and your premises means that you can continue to build on your successes and reduce your mistakes for the future. Look at your facilities from a different perspective and see what the audit highlights areas you need to improve. Try and put yourself into the role of the auditor.
Review the documentation, take their advice on any red flags and thoroughly review the latest food safety regulations or call a consultant. Take any negative points from an audit as an opportunity to improve on your next audit.
Prepare For Your Next Food Safety Audit
Food safety audits can be daunting, but if you take your time to prepare yourself, your team, and your records, they will go much smoother. Hopefully, this short guide has given you some ideas on how you can be ready next time the inspector comes to call.
However, if you need to brush up on your training or certifications, we have the right courses for you. Check out our food safety training sessions, where you can learn more best practices for your next audit.