Dossier n. 159/2007 [Abstract] Audit techniques to control food producers and processing plants

The volume deals with audit techniques (UNI ISO EN 19011) applied to official control on food safety, as established by Regulation (EC) no 882/2004.

The document is divided in two parts. The first describes conceptual aspects of the audit to check whether adequate control and enforcement mechanisms are in place to guarantee food safety. The second part describes how to operatively conduct an audit.

The evaluation of a food service operators through audit is possible after the identification of general standards (system elements) and specific standards of the particular productive phase where the operator works. The general standards developed in this document refer to: personnel education and training, internal auditing activities, traceability systems, documentary system. For operators working in a post-primary production phase, also the HACCP system standards are to be considered (standard operational procedures).

The auditor has to collect evidences of the existence and efficacy of the management system and to evaluate its adequacy, improvement possibilities and capability to maintain these aspects. The auditor needs to be qualified (education, training, assessment) to collect evidence within the productive system where the operator works and to elaborate an objective evaluation.

There are direct survey techniques to verify specific standards and indirect survey techniques that deduce the evaluation from transversal and operational aspects of the productive system. To have the most objective evaluation of the food service operator, the competent authority has also to adopt official control procedures.

In the second part of the volume, the audit operational phases are described: planning, audit conduction, report elaboration, development of other activities.

A glossary of terms and definition, a brief handbook for the auditor on behaviour and survey techniques, and a report format are also included.