Can internal audits for a small facility be conducted in one day
Hello All,
We're a small company that manufactures flexible packaging pouches. We receive the material from our customers and convert the flexible packaging material into pouches. We are currently SQF certified and will be having our second audit coming up. I have two questions.
1. Due to the size of the facility, can all internal audits be conducted on the same day or do they need to be spread across the year?
2. Can I use the SQF checklist as my audit record? I noticed another poster and commented about removing the areas that aren't mandatory and adding space to put comments. Just confirming this is an acceptable way to conduct the audits.
Any insight would be appreciated.
1. Due to the size of the facility, can all internal audits be conducted on the same day or do they need to be spread across the year?
2. Can I use the SQF checklist as my audit record? I noticed another poster and commented about removing the areas that aren't mandatory and adding space to put comments. Just confirming this is an acceptable way to conduct the audits.
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1. The only time I have ever seen a company do all their internal audits in one day was once when a company was coming up on their second audit and they had not done any internal audits (documentation and physical plant) all year long since their first audit, plus are you willing wait an entire year to pinpoint issues - you'll find it much more to your advantage to do them over the course of the year than in 1 shot.
2. We've used the checklist as a basis for creating the 20 separate types of internals that we do - so it is a good foundation.
Hello All,
We're a small company that manufactures flexible packaging pouches. We receive the material from our customers and convert the flexible packaging material into pouches. We are currently SQF certified and will be having our second audit coming up. I have two questions.
1. Due to the size of the facility, can all internal audits be conducted on the same day or do they need to be spread across the year?
2. Can I use the SQF checklist as my audit record? I noticed another poster and commented about removing the areas that aren't mandatory and adding space to put comments. Just confirming this is an acceptable way to conduct the audits.
Any insight would be appreciated.
1. If you do it all in one day, make sure you are giving yourself time to complete all the corrective actions before your next audit.
2. I took the last audit, sorted it by all the spots the SQF auditor marked as N/A, marked those N/A on my blank checklist made them all grey so I know I can ignore them. I've a note to review them every couple of months to verify they are still N/A so something doesn't get missed.
Hi ReynoldsPackaging1,
:welcome:
Welcome to the IFSQN forums
Falls under 2.5.4 Internal Audits and Inspections (Mandatory).
The requirements for Internal audits are for them to be conducted in full and at least annually covering all applicable requirements of the SQF Food Safety Code annually.
One annual audit using an SQF Checklist would be acceptable but good practice would be to conduct your audits throughout the year. As other members have posted the checklist can easily be divided into workable sections to use for individual internal audits - No point in trying to reinvent the wheel
Also note: 2.5.4.3 Regular inspections of the site and equipment shall be planned and carried out to verify Good Manufacturing Practices and facilities and equipment maintenance is compliant to the SQF Food Safety Code: the Manufacturing of Food Packaging.
The SQF Food Safety Code, Guidance and Checklists for Food Packaging can be downloaded on this webpage:
https://www.sqfi.com...-food-packaging
Kind regards,
Tony