Food Facility Checks To Do Before Your Food Safety Audit

Door Gap Checks 

• Inspect your food facility doors (and your dock doors) for gaps. If you see “daylight” peeking  through your door gaps, install a seal. This will reduce the risk of pest contamination. A mouse can fit through a gap as small as the size of a dime!

Keep Doors Closed 

• When your food facility doors (including dock doors) are not being actively used, instruct  your employees to keep them shut and locked. This will reduce the risk of pest  contamination and will increase the security of your facility from unwanted  guests. 

Warm Water at Hand Sinks 

• Test your hand washing sinks to ensure they are equipped with warm water. It  may require a little adjusting to get the temperature right. Ideally, the temperature should be between 100-110°F and feel warm to the touch. 
• View our blog post for more information on handwashing requirements.  

Temporary Repairs on Facilities or Equipment 

• Check to ensure that temporary repairs are not posing a risk to product safety.  No tape, string, or non-cleanable repairs are permitted on facility equipment,  tools, or structures. Check our blog post for more information on temporary  repairs. 
• For repairs on the facility (walls, floors, etc.), the repairs should be made with a  non-porous/easily cleanable material that is similar to the material that part of  the facility is made of. 

Condensation & Ice Build Up 

• Check cooling/refrigeration/freezer units to ensure there is no pooling condensation or ice build up. Condensation drips pose a risk of Listeria growth and contamination. Ice build up is a product contamination risk, and is a big sign to an auditor or inspector that a freezer is not maintaining temperature as intended. Condensation is frequently observed after hot sanitation activities or in humid areas. Check with your maintenance department (or contractor) to see what can be done to reduce condensation in the facility.

Allergen Storage & Segregation 

• Allergens should be properly segregated from non-allergen ingredients and  other allergen ingredients. Wherever possible, designate a specific area of your  storage to allergens. Allergens should be securely closed, clearly labeled, and  stored like-with-like to prevent cross-contact in workspaces, tools or other  ingredients. Undeclared allergens are the number one reason for food recalls.  This is a simple measure your team can take to reduce that risk. 

Restroom Construction and Design 

• Restroom facilities should not open directly into any processing and food handling areas. Sanitary design should be considered and appropriate hand  washing equipment should be available. See our blog post for more information on restrooms. 

Trash Cans and Waste Cans are Labeled 

• Label your trash and waste cans as “waste.” Instruct your team to discard all  trash and waste in these labeled containers. Empty product containers should  not be used as trash receptacles. 

Exposed Wood 

• Wood is a porous material that is not easily cleaned/sanitized. Wood can easily  become a source of contamination for both bacteria and foreign materials (splinters and pieces). 
• Avoid using wood in your production facility wherever possible, alert your  consultant of any wood tools or equipment that cannot be replaced with an  alternative material. 

Secure Chemical Storage 

• All chemicals (cleaning/sanitation, maintenance, laboratory, etc.) need to be  stored in a secure location (chemical safety cabinet, storage closet, caged area,  etc.) with restricted access. 
• Food grade chemicals and lubricants must be stored separately from all non food grade chemicals. 

Backflow Preventer Testing 

• Backflow preventers should be tested at least annually. Contact your local  plumbing company and schedule a backflow preventer test. GFSI programs  require that you test these systems at least annually. Check out our blogpost to  learn more about backflow preventers.

Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.

https://kellermanconsulting.com/contact-us/

(800) 535-1376       info@kellermanconsulting.com