Inspect Your Food

Plant in 30 Minutes
 While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for every food facility,
most inspections follow the same detailed process.

Establish the Team

Every food facility should have a formal food safety team whose function is to consider all risk areas of food safety. This
team is responsible for 3 important tasks.

1. Plan and establish the food safety program
Inspections are resource-intensive, but they don’t cost a lot of money. They take time from the executive
level, supervisors, and the food safety team. So, it’s important that inspections be organized, efficient, and
information gained is put to use.

2. Fully inspect the operation for defects

An inspection should evaluate the physical condition of the facility, equipment, and observe personnel
practices to collect information in order to determine compliance with the facility’s food safety programs.

3. Ensure deficiencies are eliminated

Inspection findings will often initiate immediate corrective action that needs to be dealt with on the spot.
But just as often, observations will lead the team to consider program improvements that can be made to
prevent future deficiencies. Documentation and follow through are key to ensure that inspection results
are beneficial, promote food safety, and lead to improvement.

Those involved in self-inspections should be keen observers and able to recognize what is - or what should be - happening
in those areas. They should ask questions, explore, experiment, think, analyze, and draw conclusions about data. Their
experience should give them the ability to identify the vulnerable areas of a facility where issues may likely be.

Assign Roles
Once your team is established, the actual work begins. We advise to divide and conquer. Depending on the size of your
facility, one method of an in-plant inspection is to divide the building into relatively small areas and to check one of these
areas each week. This method allows the team to gain a comprehensive look at the operation and eliminate product safety
hazards.

When food safety teams attempt to cover an area too large at once, failure can occur. If done properly, the time devoted
to an inspection can be quite short. When the inspection boundaries are clearly defined, and the team sticks to assigned
tasks 30 to 60 minutes should be sufficient to adequately examine an area.

The Benefits of Unannounced Audits

• One leader should pick the day and time of the inspection.
• The area to be inspected should remain unknown until the team is assembled.

If the team is larger than ten people, split into two groups. We also suggest that the task at hand be confined to items that
impact food safety and not be extended to additional areas such as worker or OSHA safety.

Inspections allow you to verify that your food safety policies and procedures are being properly followed. Additionally,
the self-inspection program can be an extension of your training and education program. Employee performance can be
improved by using photos of inspection findings for future employee training sessions.
Set a Standard
The primary goal of a self-inspection is to review existing conditions. Upon finding deficiencies, the team should categorize
them in a list. One method of categorization can be modeled after the AIB International Consolidated Standards for
Inspection. We offer 10 different Consolidated Standards for Inspection, each tailored to specific industry segment
requirements.
1. Beverage Facilities
2. Bulk Sanitary Transports
3. Food Contact Packaging Manufacturing Facilities
4. Grain Handling Facilities
5. Nonfood Contact Packaging Manufacturing Facilities
6. Prerequisite and Food Safety Programs
7. Retail Facilities
8. Distribution Centers
9. Fresh Cut Produce
10. Fresh Produce and Fruit Packinghouses

Conduct the Self-Inspection

The team assigned to the self-inspection should begin with an open mind and not have preconceived notions of what they
expect to find. They should interact with employees to assess their level of food safety knowledge and determine how well
they understand their job responsibilities.

When an issue is identified, ask “why” in order to determine the root cause. Some issues may seem very simple on the
surface, but further investigating may lead to other complex issues.

Here are some basic tools that should be used during a self-inspection:
• Flashlight (15,000-20,000 lumens)
• Inspection mirror (polished metal, non-glass)
• Scraper/spatula
• Thermometer
• Basic hand tools for opening equipment (as allowed)
• Writing tablet and pen or hand-held computer
• Camera or other recording device
• Keys to secured areas and gates

Wear clean, washable outer clothing. At some facilities, a full body white uniform identifies the food safety inspection
team. Be prepared to get dirty while digging, climbing, and crawling during a physical self-inspection.

Follow the same company personnel policies as production employees. If the facility has strict rules about uniforms, safety
shoes, and other personal protection equipment, the inspection team should comply with these rules. In some cases,
special equipment (e.g., man lifts and ladders) may be required to access overhead areas. It is better to have these items
in place before the self-inspection begins rather than wait for their arrival.

Discussions during the course of the self-inspection should be brief and limited to matters within the scope of the
observations in the specific area. If a unit of equipment has an unacceptable appearance, the cleaning frequency of the
unit and the cleaning procedure should be reviewed. If the same unit is excessively soiled every time it is inspected, it
is likely that the cleaning cycle should be changed. However, keep in mind that not everything in a food plant is always
cleaned at the same time, and therefore, not everything is always clean.

Special attention should be given to situations that present a product hazard. Regulatory enforcement agencies have
shifted their attention almost entirely to the concept of complete product protection. If a condition exists that could allow
paint, grease, condensate, rust, or similar contaminants to be introduced to the product or product zone, the situation is
considered a violation.
Another example of a violation would be evidence of rodent activity in a food plant or warehouse since a rodent could
contaminate ingredients, products, or product zones. During a self-inspection, you may find unfavorable conditions. You
may be tempted to repeatedly return to the same locations and look for the same conditions, but each area should be
approached as though it has never before been inspected.

Don’t only inspect production and storage areas. Inspections must be conducted on the roof, exterior grounds, and in
interior spaces such as boiler rooms, maintenance rooms, and office areas. You should keep in mind that problems can
exist above and below eye-level. Regularly changing your position can make a world of difference in what you observe. For
example, checking the grounds from a vantage point on the roof may reveal areas that require further investigation.

Document, Document, Document

Many facilities develop checklists to help them during self-inspections. Initially, these checklists can be helpful and provide
a guide of specific items to look for. However, over time many facilities rely on the checklist so much that they neglect
other areas. This can cause team members to miss serious issues. To prevent dependency on a checklist, only include
general items to consider (e.g., overheads, container identification, equipment storage, employee practices, protected
lighting, etc.), but not specific items. Many companies choose to simply start with a blank inspection report and document
items as they are discovered during the self-inspection.

Details are important. Note items, such as missing electrical box covers and knockouts, which could directly impact pest
control. Surplus lubricant and chipped paint over or in the vicinity of a product zone is a product hazard and should be
noted.

It is far better to have too many items on the list than to miss even one item that could be considered critical to product
safety. It is important to record each issue observed, as well as its location, because the items on the inspection list will
eventually be assigned for correction. Be specific for future understanding but try to be brief. Some companies choose to
take a picture of the issue, so it can be evaluated at meetings or used to help the person responsible for the corrective
action find the specific item.

At the conclusion of each week’s self-inspection, the recorder should copy and distribute the inspection notes to each
department lead. Immediate action can then be taken on the items that can easily be corrected.

We understand your schedule is cramped and you feel like time is – in fact – not on your side. But, with a supportive
team, a proven strategy, and 30 minutes set aside each week, you can divide and conquer your plant with a self-inspection
program that will prepare you for even the most rigorous regulatory and third-party inspections.
Which Audit or Inspection is Best for You?

GMP Training Inspection or Are you new to food safety audits or inspections?
YES
Global Markets Assessment
NO

GMP Inspection Do you need the audit or inspection to qualify as a

or GFSI Audit YES
supplier?
NO

Food Safety 360 Evaluation YES Are you looking to troubleshoot a specific issue?

NO

Do you need an inspection activity to complement

Inspection Only YES
an existing document-focused audit?

NO

Are you looking for an audit that covers inspection

GMP Inspection YES
and program documentation?

NO

Food Safety Training Do you need your employees to learn more about
YES
tiny.cc/AIBtraining food safety?

Schedule your facility visit today! tiny.cc/schedulevisit

www.aibinternational.com info@aibinternational.com (+1) 800.633.5137