[Up Front] Self Inspections and Training

I’m always curious when I learn of events in the food industry that result in recalls and negative media exposure. With today’s technology and resources, how can overhead leaks, neglected maintenance issues, poor equipment design and lack of training still cause so many product contamination issues? I am frustrated with the industry’s overall lack of focus on inspecting. Most third-party and corporate food safety schemes emphasize auditing programs. While this is extremely important, little time is allotted for inspecting and validating these programs. The inspection coincides with the audit to ensure that these programs are being implemented and to ensure the process is operating as designed. The lack of emphasis and training in food plant inspection grows more evident with each audit scheme developed. 

There are many reasons for the trend away from inspection: time, money, increased efficiency, consolidation of schemes and unification of the various audits. In addition, we have seen the continuous growth of the scope of audits to include the non-negotiable elements such as GMPs and food safety (HACCP), as well as quality and food defense. Unfortunately, the additional time and training that are required often are overlooked.

Today’s trend is to place priority on the audit and not provide a process inspection. While the audit provides guidance for and history of our programs, a rigorous inspection ensures the programs are effective. Since corporate and third parties focus on the audit approach, plants tend to satisfy these schemes and neglect going out on the floor to monitor events. However, it is the plant’s responsibility to develop in-house audit and inspection schemes. After all, food safety is non-negotiable.

At AIB’s recent Principles of Inspecting and Auditing Food Plants seminar, several attendees shared frustration about the time constraints they were forced to work with. Since their focus was on completing the paperwork to satisfy the auditor, little support was given to develop self-inspection programs. They also indicated that less support was given to them, and less time was allowed to do complete-breakdown inspections of the process. 

The industry has several international and domestic schemes in the proposal process. Each is a “one-size-fits-all” model, so we hope they can be unified to satisfy the marketplace. But, instead of criticizing the schemes, it is each plant’s responsibility to ensure its internal audit and inspection programs are effective and meet all requirements.

No training is more valuable than that of an in-plant self inspection. Spending time with representatives from each department, looking for issues, and discussing solutions and corrective actions among coworkers is very effective training for the entire plant. Visit the floor. Go hunt for leaks, cracks, loose paint, metal-to-metal wear, poorly trained employees, unwashed hands, contaminated ingredients, dirty delivery vehicles, unprotected chemicals or unnoticed niches that could hide Salmonella. Go inspecting!

The author is Vice President of Food Safety Education, AIB International.