The Auditor’s Eye: What a Food Safety Team Should Actually Be Doing

By: M.R. Trace

In most facilities, the food safety team gets mentioned in audits, training slides, and org charts—but what does it actually *do*? More importantly, what *should* it be doing?

Let’s strip away the fluff and look at the real work of a food safety team, not the ceremonial stuff. The operational stuff. The kind that keeps systems sharp, risks visible, and decisions grounded.

First, Define the Team

A food safety team isn’t just QA and the plant manager. It’s **cross-functional by design**. That means:

• **Production** brings process realities
• **Sanitation** brings frontline insight
• **Maintenance** brings equipment context
• **Purchasing** brings supplier and spec awareness
• **R&D or Product Development** brings formulation foresight
• **Quality/Regulatory** brings system oversight

When these voices are in the room, the team becomes a **decision-making engine**, not just a compliance checkpoint.

What Should Be on the Agenda?

Here’s what a food safety team should be reviewing regularly—not just when an auditor’s coming:

1. Site Inspection Nonconformances

• Review internal audits, GMP walks, and sanitation inspections
• **Trend findings over time**especially repeat offenders
• Focus on **identifying and correcting root causes**, not just surface fixes

2. Ingredient, Process, Customer Changes or Product Changes

• Any new ingredient, equipment, or formulation should trigger a review
• Focus especially on **new allergens**—even trace introductions
• Ask: *Has this change been risk-assessed and communicated clearly?*

3. HACCP Plan Review

• Revisit hazard analysis when processes shift or new risks emerge
• Don’t just “update the document”—**challenge the assumptions**
• Ask: *Is our plan still relevant to what’s actually happening on the floor?*

4. PRP and CCP/Preventive Control Effectiveness

• Review monitoring records and corrective actions
• Look for patterns: missed checks, repeated deviations, vague responses
• Ask: *Are our controls working, or are we just checking boxes?*

Final Thought

The food safety team isn’t a formality. It’s a forum. A place where operations, quality, and strategy intersect. When it’s functioning well, it doesn’t just protect the brand—it **drives continual improvement.