World Grain - July 2021 - 64

PREPARING FOR AUDITS IN A
pandemic
A
by Frank Meek
few years ago, I was providing a pre-audit for a
whole corn holding facility in Central America.
Sitting down with the sanitarian before doing
the physical inspection, reviewing the pest control service
reports, I asked if they had fixed the issues with
some cleaning in the work room at silo No. 3 and other
issues that the service technician had recorded. The answer
was yes, of course. My reply? Prove it! I do not
see any recording of that action. Because of the lack of
that documentation, I dug deeper to see what else had
not been done.
Unfortunately, many items in your facility make the
perfect meal for pests such as cockroaches, rodents and
stored product pests. Even one tiny insect or insect part
in a box of cereal can impact your reputation. Grain
handling facilities are often one of the first stops along
the food supply chain, so a strong pest defense sets a
good foundation for the other stages.
With products consistently coming and going, it's
possible you don't have time to prioritize your pest
management program and leave it in the hands of your
pest control provider. While your provider is the expert
when it comes to pests, your partnership is critical. You
should have an active role in preventing pests. This
means maintaining open communication, especially
when it comes to food safety audits, so you are aware
of what's going on and don't get any bad news from a
third-party auditor.
64
If you already have a proper Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) program in place, you're heading
in the right direction. IPM programs help deter pests
from entering and destroying your product by using
preventive measures such as sanitation schedules,
regular facility maintenance evaluations and exclusion
techniques.
The last thing your business needs is a failed audit
due to preventable pest issues. Failing a first-, secondor
third-party audit can lead to long-term consequences
such as a damaged reputation, reduced profits and
worst of all - lost customers. In the short term, your
operations can be halted, and the food supply chain disrupted
yet again.
Some regulatory agencies and food safety auditors
are or will be resuming on-site audits but the opportunity
to conduct virtual audits or a hybrid option still exists.
Keeping up with these audits ensures food safety
regulations are being upheld and that your facility is
running smoothly. The pest control portion of these audits
should not be taken lightly. After all, pest control
plays a significant role in all major food safety audits
and can account for up to 20% of your score.
Get documentation in order
Your documentation is one of the most important parts
of your food safety audit. Whether virtual or in-person,
an auditor will want to see evidence that you have a
July 2021 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
On-site audits are resuming, but virtual or hybrid options are also available
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World Grain - July 2021

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