Why a Paradigm Shift is Needed in Food Safety Auditing

Article By Marc Cwikowski and Tülay Kahraman Published February 6, 2023
Article Source: Why a Paradigm Shift is Needed in Food Safety Auditing (food-safety.com)

The future of food safety auditing will be different from what we know today, but the pace of change must be faster

"If you want to know the future, look at the past," Albert Einstein once said.

The purpose of auditing and the driving force behind its development are both linked to trust. This has been the case since auditing began. Professional auditors have always been relied upon to address the needs of those seeking assurance about the actions or performance of others. It is the same with food safety auditing. It all boils down to trust. 

Here is our experience in the food industry. 

In the late 1980s, retail auditors visited manufacturing facilities to determine whether their organization would purchase products. That was a critical point for both the auditors and the plants. They were looking for objective evidence to find confidence in the processes and products. Plants were doing everything they could to demonstrate that the auditors should trust them. Both the pressure and the stakes were high. 

Numerous audits were performed because each customer had its own audit program and checklists. Furthermore, auditors were returning, regardless of the previous audit result. Being good did not affect the frequency with which manufacturers were audited. There was no risk-based audit approach, but manufacturing plants learned a lot, which prompted continuous improvement. 

No certified food safety management was in place at the time; therefore, no concept of formal internal auditing, as we know it today, existed. There was, however, a willingness to ensure that plants were ready for the customer audit when they arrived. The same was valid for regulatory inspections. It was all about demonstrating adherence to requirements and learning from the experience to improve.

Audits and inspections were highly focused on compliance, with incredibly detailed checklists. As they differed from one customer to the next, it was challenging to design and maintain a system that would satisfy everyone. It was not impossible, however. 

Adopting a management system approach has been a game changer. The late-1980s creation and subsequent development of the ISO 9000 family of standards positively impacted the food and beverage industry. These standards enabled food and beverage companies to incorporate their food safety requirements and those of their external stakeholders. It also provided them with a solid foundation for implementing an internal auditing program and verifying the system's effectiveness. Certification was primarily used to demonstrate trustworthiness to others. ISO 22000 came later. This auditable standard, first published in 2005, was outcome-focused, providing requirements for any organization in the food industry to help to improve overall food safety performance.