Has anyone got any COVID-19 related non-conformance in their SQF audit?
We are going to have our annual SQF audit in October and wonder if anyone have any special experience and tips to share on the audit during the pandemic ? Thanks in advance.
Almost!! We were too busy focusing on our auditors mask and making sure we could walk and talk while socially distanced, and we forgot to ask them to remove their wedding ring!! Luckily they didn't make a big deal out of it!
Unless you are being audited for COVID precautions I do not think they can give you a non-compliance for an issue in that relation. However, I will say the auditor had us go through all our precautions before he started his audit. If he was not comfortable with what we were doing then he may have decided not to conduct the audit. Also, if you put extra procedures, equipment or barriers in place to help with COVID Precautions then ensure they are meeting the food safety requirements. Auditor looked at each one to ensure they were up to par and that the sanitizers we were using were marked as effective against COVID.
Unless you are being audited for COVID precautions I do not think they can give you a non-compliance for an issue in that relation. However, I will say the auditor had us go through all our precautions before he started his audit. If he was not comfortable with what we were doing then he may have decided not to conduct the audit. Also, if you put extra procedures, equipment or barriers in place to help with COVID Precautions then ensure they are meeting the food safety requirements. Auditor looked at each one to ensure they were up to par and that the sanitizers we were using were marked as effective against COVID.
Hi Mulan,
Logically, I would have thought that the Inspector should have inquired as to the adequacy of the Procedure of usage as well.
Hi Charles - Good point and yes, that is a factor. We did have documentation of how long we apply the sanitizer we use for COVID and since it is applied at a concentration above food contact approval we are rinsing the food contact equipment and applying a sanitizer at approved contact concentration afterwards. We have it all listed in our sanitation operating procedures. - Thank you, Lee Ann