Are Monthly Inspections Really Necessary in a Food Safety Action Plan?

Food safety verification programs require manufactures to be ready to show compliance throughout the year, and monthly inspections help to ensure that records are in place and that food safety action plans are followed to the letter. In our recent webinar, Using Monthly Inspections as a Tool for Prerequisite Program Verification, Rich Simmons, Senior Advisor at TAG, provides specific examples of monthly inspection reports for organizations to use for inspiration when crafting their own unique food safety action plan.

In this blog, we cover not just how you can implement monthly inspections in your food safety action plan, but the business cases for why monthly inspections are an integral part of safe food manufacturing and the most effective ways to stay on top of them.

Why Add More Work?

Why Add More Work?

Food safety verification programs require manufactures to be ready to show compliance throughout the year, and monthly inspections help to ensure that records are in place and that food safety action plans are followed to the letter. In our recent webinar, Using Monthly Inspections as a Tool for Prerequisite Program Verification, Rich Simmons, Senior Advisor at TAG, provides specific examples of monthly inspection reports for organizations to use for inspiration when crafting their own unique food safety action plan.

In this blog, we cover not just how you can implement monthly inspections in your food safety action plan, but the business cases for why monthly inspections are an integral part of safe food manufacturing and the most effective ways to stay on top of them.

Why Does A Monthly Food Safety Verification Look Like?

Here are six examples of ways you can use a monthly food safety verification as part of your overall food safety action plan.

•  Calibration: Is equipment impacting food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements up to date on service? Monthly checks verify that equipment calibration is being scheduled and is the schedule adhered to throughout the year with the records to show for it.

• Pest control: Are live catch devices being monitored? This monthly check provides proof that there are no issues by month and provides oversight for contracted services.

• Shipping and receiving: Are raw products being stored in their appropriate temperature range and are allergens property identified and labeled? Checking the compliance of the shipping and receiving team is critical for food safety and compliance with the Food Traceability Rule. Monthly reports help to summarize level of compliance for FSMA 204 and end-of-year reports.

• Sanitation: Are sanitation records complete and up to date? When combined for an annual report, records of facility sanitary conditions are sufficient proof of program compliance, allowing for determination of program effectiveness.

• Plant security: Are visitor sign-ins being used for all visitors, including contractors? Do delivery trucks have locked cargo doors, direct routes from source, and constant supervision? Many plant safety aspects point towards an appropriate level of employee training and adherence to company rules and regulations.

• Food safety: Do CCP operators know critical and operating limits and what to do when failures are found? Ensuring complete and legible CCP records is critical for confirming that the most critical aspects of the food safety system are effective.

Gain Visibility Throughout Your Organization

At the heart of monthly inspection — and in fact, your entire food safety plan — is visibility. Monthly checks provide a robust verification calendar and verification data that can be easily lifted from inspection check sheets to verification records. They ease the burden of internal audits on the food safety team, while combining tasks so that verification and QA inspections are completed in one step. Lastly, monthly inspections make it easier to provide data to update the management team and to share with regulators or third-party auditors in a ready-to-go package.

Digital plant management platforms make this process even more streamlined. Setting reminders, automating as much as possible, and keeping a single source of truth organized and easily accessible to leadership to demonstrate compliance at a moment’s notice — especially for when an auditor walks in through the door.

Learn more about increasing visibility across your organization with SafetyChain.