Supplier Audit

Supplier audit is a structured assessment of a supplier’s facilities, procedures, records and controls to determine whether the supplier meets the food business’s requirements. In restaurants and food manufacturing, supplier audits may examine food safety, sanitation, traceability, allergen management, temperature control, product specifications and regulatory compliance.

What a supplier audit may include

• Facility inspection: building condition, equipment, pest control and sanitation.
• Food-safety system: HACCP or other preventive controls, monitoring and corrective actions.
• Product handling: receiving, processing, packaging, storage and transport temperatures.
• Traceability: lot coding, supplier records, recall procedures and mock recalls.
• Allergen management: ingredient controls, segregation, cleaning and label accuracy.
• Documentation: licences, certifications, training and test records where applicable.

How an audit is conducted

The auditor defines the scope, reviews documents, inspects the facility, interviews relevant personnel and records findings. Non-conformities should be assigned corrective actions, responsible persons and completion dates. Follow-up may be required to confirm that the issues have been resolved.

Example: a restaurant audits a seafood supplier by reviewing its food-safety programme, cold-chain records, traceability system and handling practices.

Supplier audit versus supplier approval

Supplier approval is the decision to accept a supplier based on defined criteria. A supplier audit is one method of assessing whether those criteria are met and continue to be met.

Chef’s note: audit frequency should be based on product risk, supplier history, performance and regulatory requirements. A certificate alone does not replace appropriate supplier oversight.