Food Safety & Quality Audits
Mérieux NutriSciences provides independent food safety and quality audits to help manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors evaluate compliance with regulatory requirements, customer specifications, and industry best practices. From GMP and supplier audits to animal welfare assessments and customized audit programs, our experienced auditors provide objective evaluations of your food safety systems and operational practices.
Our Food Safety & Quality Audit Services
Our audit services combine food safety principles, regulatory guidelines, program reviews, and on-site observations to provide an objective assessment of your operations. We offer a range of audit programs designed to address food safety requirements, supplier performance, customer expectations, and industry-specific needs.
Customer Audits & Addenda
Our customer audits and addenda support organizations seeking to meet specific retailer, foodservice, certification program, and customer requirements. Available audits and addenda address a range of food safety, quality, transportation, animal welfare, and product verification needs. Available programs include:
Animal Welfare Audits
Mérieux NutriSciences Certification offers animal welfare audits for poultry and red meat growing and harvesting facilities. Our animal welfare auditors are trained and certified by PAACO (Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization) and have experience in the primary production food sector category.
Benefits:
- Evaluate animal welfare practices at growing and harvesting facilities
- Support applicable animal welfare program requirements
- Access auditors with specialized primary production experience
Customized Supplier Audits
The Mérieux NutriSciences audit management team can help develop customized supplier audit programs to address your organization's specific requirements. Audits can focus on critical areas, product specifications, food safety requirements, or key risk areas such as Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP). Customized programs are frequently used to evaluate high-risk suppliers.
Benefits:
- Evaluate suppliers against specific food safety and quality requirements
- Focus audit activities on critical supplier risks
- Support supplier verification and oversight programs
Distribution Center Food Safety Audits
Our Distribution Center Food Safety audit is designed for organizations storing and distributing food and packaging materials. The audit includes reviewing food safety-related programs, physically inspecting premises and equipment, and observing good distribution practices.
Benefits:
- Evaluate food safety programs across distribution operations
- Assess facility and equipment conditions
- Review good distribution practices and operational controls
Gap Assessments
Our gap assessments help facilities become familiar with the auditing process and identify areas for improvement before a formal audit. Assessments can be conducted against any currently offered audit program and provide an opportunity to understand applicable audit expectations.
Gap assessments do not include consultation or assistance with managing corrective actions.
Benefits:
- Understand the requirements of an upcoming audit
- Identify potential gaps before the formal evaluation
- Familiarize facility teams with the auditing process
CDFA Proposition 12 Compliance Audits
Mérieux NutriSciences is an Accredited Certifying Agent offering on-site inspections and compliance visits to support applicable California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Proposition 12 requirements for covered products.
Benefits:
- Support applicable CDFA Proposition 12 compliance requirements
- Obtain an on-site inspection from an Accredited Certifying Agent
- Evaluate operations against relevant program requirements
GMP & Food Safety Systems Audits
Our Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Food Safety Systems audits provide a comprehensive evaluation of facility food safety programs. Audits include program reviews, record reviews, and physical inspections based on applicable regulations and industry best practices.
Benefits:
- Evaluate GMP and food safety program implementation
- Review documentation, records, and facility conditions
- Support customer and industry food safety expectations
GMP Implementation Audits
Our GMP Implementation audits evaluate how effectively good manufacturing practices and prerequisite programs are implemented throughout a facility. Approximately 50% of the audit focuses on inspecting facilities and equipment and observing employee practices. Audits can also be customized to include sanitation and multiple production shifts.
Benefits:
- Evaluate the implementation of GMP and prerequisite programs
- Assess employee practices and facility conditions
- Address sanitation and multiple-shift operations when applicable
Gluten-Free Verification Audits
Our Gluten-Free Verification Audits evaluate whether a facility has implemented appropriate programs and procedures to support gluten-free labeling claims. These audits help verify compliance with applicable program requirements and assess the controls supporting product claims.
Benefits:
- Evaluate programs supporting gluten-free labeling claims
- Review implementation of relevant procedures and controls
- Support product verification and labeling confidence
Identity-Preserved Verification Audits
Our identity-preserved verification audits evaluate the programs and procedures used to maintain the identity-preserved status of finished products. These audits assess whether appropriate processes are being followed to support identity-preserved labeling claims.
Benefits:
- Evaluate identity-preservation procedures
- Assess controls supporting product identity claims
- Support verification of applicable product requirements
Additional Food Safety & Quality Audits
We also offer specialized audit services across food manufacturing, agriculture, packaging, transportation, dietary supplements, animal feed, laboratory operations, and personal care.
Available audits include:
- HACCP Audits
- Food Safety Management Systems Audits
- Packaging Materials Audits
- Pet Food and Animal Feed Audits
- Dietary Supplements GMP & Food Safety Systems Audits
- Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Audits
- Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) Audits
- Laboratory Methods Assessments
- Allergen Verification Assessments
- Chemical Good Manufacturing Practices Audits
- Fresh Beef E. coli STEC Audits
- Specified Risk Material (SRM) Audits
- Personal Care Audits
- Transportation Audits
Food Safety Auditing Resources & Insights
Food Safety Audit Frequently Asked Questions
Preparing for a food safety audit involves reviewing food safety programs, verifying records, evaluating facility conditions, and confirming that employees follow established procedures. A gap assessment can help facilities become familiar with audit requirements before a formal evaluation. Mérieux NutriSciences offers gap assessments and GMP audits to support audit readiness.
Food safety audits include GMP audits, supplier audits, third-party audits, food safety systems audits, and customer-specific assessments. Each evaluates different aspects of food safety, quality, or compliance. The appropriate audit depends on your facility's operations, customer requirements, and applicable standards. Mérieux NutriSciences offers a range of audit services to address these needs.
A food safety gap assessment helps facilities understand audit requirements and identify areas that may need attention before a formal audit. A third-party audit provides an independent evaluation against defined standards or requirements. Mérieux NutriSciences offers both gap assessments and independent food safety audits. Gap assessments do not include consultation or assistance with corrective action management.
A GMP audit focuses on good manufacturing practices, including sanitation, facility conditions, equipment, and employee practices. A broader food safety audit may also evaluate hazard controls, documentation, and food safety management systems. Mérieux NutriSciences offers GMP and Food Safety Systems audits that include program reviews, record reviews, and physical facility inspections.
A supplier food safety audit may be appropriate when qualifying new suppliers, evaluating high-risk suppliers, meeting customer requirements, or verifying supplier food safety practices. Audit needs depend on applicable regulations, identified risks, and supplier verification programs. Mérieux NutriSciences offers customized supplier audits that can focus on critical risks, product specifications, and food safety requirements.