Module 8

The Scope of
the Inspection
(Case Study)
 The Scope of the Inspection (Case Study)

Table of Contents

8A Interview with the Owner ...................................................................................3

Let's meet the owner of Cody's Bakery & Dairy. ...............................................3

Scenario Instructions ...........................................................................................3

Site Inspections .....................................................................................................3

8B Meeting with the Inspector .................................................................................5

Let's meet the inspector, Mike, short for Michaela! ..........................................5

Scenario Instructions ...........................................................................................5

Meeting the Inspector .........................................................................................5

8C Reviewing the Scope of the Inspection ............................................................9

Let's look at the process of reviewing the scope of the inspection...............9

Scenario Instructions ...........................................................................................9

Reviewing the Scope of the Inspection ...........................................................9

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 The Scope of the Inspection (Case Study)

Module 8 | The Scope of the Inspection (Case Study)

8A Interview with the Owner

Let's meet the owner of Cody's Bakery & Dairy.

Scenario Instructions

• In this scenario you will play the part of the food

business owner of Cody’s Bakery & Dairy, as they go
through the inspection process with the CFIA.
• You will have an opportunity to listen to a series of
interviews and transcripts from the recordings.

Site Inspections

Key questions to consider during the interviews with Cody:

• Was Cody's Bakery and Dairy notified of the inspection?
• What can an owner prepare prior to the inspection?

• Transcript 1 | Interview with Cody from Cody's Bakery

& Dairy

CODY:
− We got a notice about 6 months ago that the CFIA
would be coming in to do a regular scheduled
routine inspection.
− At Cody’s Bakery & Dairy, we do our very best to
make sure our products are high quality and taste

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 The Scope of the Inspection (Case Study)

great, keeping our customers happy and coming

back for more!
− As the person responsible for food safety at my
facility, I make sure that we have all the proper
systems in place.
− I’m confident that we will pass the inspection, but I
still need to do some work to get ready for it.
− Over the last few months, I’ve been preparing my
team: providing refresher training courses, ensuring
all food safety measures are being followed, and
checking to see that our facility is in good shape.

• Transcript 2 | Interview with Cody about Getting Ready

for the Inspection

CODY:
− One of the most important tasks that I had to do
was organize all our documentation for our food
safety management plan, getting it ready for the
inspector to look at when they arrive today.
− As the owner and operator, I thought it was
important to personally meet with the inspector
when he arrived to welcome him to my facility and
to build a good working relationship right from the
start!

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 The Scope of the Inspection (Case Study)

− Join me at my facility as I go through the steps of a

typical CFIA federal inspection: learn what to
expect and see how I have prepared.

• End of the Interview

Our interview has come to the end.

8B Meeting with the Inspector

Let's meet the inspector, Mike, short for Michaela!

Scenario Instructions

Now that you have learned a bit about Cody’s Bakery and
Dairy let’s look at what happened when the inspector, Mike,
showed up at the facility.

Meeting the Inspector

Key questions to consider as you go through the inspection

process:
• What are the five steps of the inspection process that
the inspector mentions?
• What does the inspector explain well?

• Transcript 1 | As the Inspector Arrives

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 The Scope of the Inspection (Case Study)

− CODY: Hello Mike, welcome to Cody’s Bakery and

Dairy.
− MIKE: Thank you for meeting with me today. I’m
here to inspect your facility. Before we get started,
I’ll explain what I’ll be doing. We use a systematic
approach and follow five parts in a standard
inspection process. It helps us be consistent and
more efficient during the inspection and helps
businesses because they know what to expect.

• Transcript 2 | The Inspector Explains the Current

Process

− MIKE: Before we start the inspection, I want to

take a moment to familiarize you with the 5 current
steps of a standard CFIA federal inspection process:

• Transcript 3 | The Opening Meeting

− MIKE: First, we have what’s called an “opening

meeting”. That’s where we meet in a room to talk
about any changes that you’ve made to your
operations or your preventive controls since the
last inspection. We’ll also talk about previous areas

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 The Scope of the Inspection (Case Study)

of concern and Corrective Actions that were

requested during the last inspection.

• Transcript 4 | The Visual Inspection

− MIKE: Second, I’ll do a “visual inspection” by

walking through the operation. During the visual
inspection process, I’ll be looking for things you’re
doing well as well as identifying areas of
improvement, such as potential food safety risks or
“non-compliance” with the regulations. Along the
way, I may also interview employees, take product
or environmental samples, and verify that labels are
correct.

• Transcript 5 | The Document & Records Review

− MIKE: Third, I’ll examine the preventive food safety

documents and records that you have in place for
the facility. Of course, depending on your
production schedule, it may work better to review
your records before doing the visual inspection.

• Transcript 6 | Receiving the Report

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− MIKE: Fourth, I’ll use the information that I’ve

gathered while visiting your facility today, to
prepare a report of the inspection AND assign a
rating to the inspected areas. The ratings can range
from critical to satisfactory. For example, a critical
rating would be given if I see a food safety problem
where the product is affected and needs immediate
action before I leave the premises. If I don’t see any
deficiencies and everything conforms to
requirements, I’ll assign a satisfactory rating.

• Transcript 7 | The Closing Meeting

− MIKE: Fifth, we’ll have a closing meeting to discuss

what I’ve found if anything, and what the next steps
will be. It is important for you or someone
accountable for taking corrective actions at your
facility to be present at the closing meeting. For
any non-compliance found during the inspection, I’ll
request that you take Corrective Actions, and I may
plan a follow-up inspection to confirm that these
issues have been corrected. At the end, you can
expect a formal letter and detailed report, but you
may want to take your own notes as we go.

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 The Scope of the Inspection (Case Study)

• End of the Transcripts

Our meeting with the Inspector has come to the end.

8C Reviewing the Scope of the Inspection

Let's look at the process of reviewing the scope of the inspection.

Scenario Instructions

Now let’s hear a bit more about the process based on Cody’s
experience.

Reviewing the Scope of the Inspection

Key questions to consider as you go through the scope of the

inspection:
• How will my previous inspection history impact the
scope of the current inspection?

• Transcript 1 | What Happens in the Opening Meeting

− CODY: In an opening meeting, the inspector will

review the scope of the inspection and what they
will be inspecting. This could include the whole
production line or could be a specific segment of
the operation.

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• Transcript 2 | If You've Had an Inspection Before

− CODY: If you have had an inspection before, the

inspector will review any previous non-compliances
and the corrective actions that were taken. At this
time, you can present any new changes in your
operations – such as adding a new product line or
creating new processes or procedures since the last
time CFIA visited.

• Transcript 3 | If It's Your First CFIA Inspection

− CODY: If you’ve never had a CFIA inspection

before, the opening meeting is a perfect time to let
the inspector know what your company does and
any specific details about your production
processes.

• Transcript 4 | Request for Someone Knowledgeable

− CODY: The inspector may request that someone

knowledgeable about your operations can
accompany them through the inspection in case
they have questions or there’s a serious issue that

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should be addressed immediately. In this case, I will

be going along with Mike today!
− Just like everyone else on my team, the inspector
will have to follow food protection protocols
including wearing a hairnet, gloves, a clean uniform,
and washing their hands.

• End of the Transcripts

Our review of the scope of inspection has come to the
end.

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