Preparing for a food safety certification audit like ISO 22000 or HACCP can be a turning point for any food business.
However, many organizations overlook key details that lead to non-conformities or even failure. Let’s explore the top
7 mistakes and how to avoid them.
- **Ignoring Internal Audits**
Skipping internal audits or rushing through them is a major red flag. These audits are your last chance to catch
issues before the certifying body does.
- **Incomplete Documentation**
Missing, outdated, or inconsistent documents are one of the most cited non-conformities. Keep SOPs, policies,
and records aligned with current practices.
- **Poor Staff Training**
Employees should understand food safety basics, your company’s procedures, and how their roles impact compliance.
Lack of awareness can result in critical findings.
- **Overlooking Prerequisite Programs (PRPs)**
Sanitation, pest control, and maintenance are just as important as CCPs. Weak PRPs often point to systemic problems.
- **Lack of Management Commitment**
Certification is not just for the QA team. Leadership must allocate resources, set clear objectives, and demonstrate
ownership.
- **Failure to Validate and Verify CCPs**
Monitoring without verification or validation of critical limits is a common error that undermines your HACCP plan.
- **Last-Minute Fixes**
Waiting until the audit date is announced to make improvements rarely ends well. A food safety culture is built over time.
**Final Thought**
Preparation is a continuous process. Embed food safety in your daily operations and you’ll not only pass the audit—you’ll
earn long-term trust.