What happens when the auditor leaves?

I have helped many food businesses achieve HACCP or Food Safety Program certification, and for most the Certificate was issued on the spot.

It is a feeling of great satisfaction to see that Certificate – but what happens after the Auditor goes home?

There should always be an internal audit before the external audit and there is usually some fine tuning as a result. There is usually a lot of nerves and anxiety as well.

Once the Auditor leaves, will that level of food safety and passion remain or will it only click back in in 12 months – before the next external audit?

Companies that are doing everything right and have made food safety an integral part of how it does what it does, will not have the nerves before the Audit and there will be nothing special going on before , during or even after it.

There are some businesses that have not made food safety part of their DNA and these are the ones which are most likely to need follow up after the audit and will freak out before the next audit.

How a business reacts after the audit, is entirely dependent upon how much food safety is a part of that business. If everyone from Senior Management all the way to the Cleaners believe that food safety is just how we do things, then that business is most likely going to get it’s Certificate on the spot and will not do anything special in preparing for the audit or after it is completed.

These are the types of businesses that Auditors love, as the job is very easy when everything is being done right the majority of the time.