A food safety audit is a structured review of how your business manages food safety in practice. It can cover your HACCP procedures, routine records, temperature controls, cleaning, allergens, staff knowledge, pest control and corrective actions.
Unlike an official Environmental Health Officer inspection, an FSG audit is designed to help you identify gaps and improve your processes before they become bigger problems.
Whether carried out virtually or on site, you'll receive a clear picture of what's working well and where attention is needed.
A practical way to review your operation without an on-site visit.
Using a phone or tablet, your manager or team member guides one of our food safety professionals through the site in real time.
We review working practices, records and controls, ask questions as you move through the operation, and highlight anything that needs attention.
How it works:
A hands-on review carried out at your premises.
One of our food safety professionals visits your site to review your working practices, records, facilities and how your food safety procedures are being followed in practice.
On-site audits are particularly useful for more complex operations, higher-risk sites, detailed reviews, new openings or where you want a full walk-through of the premises.
Includes:
Our food safety audits mirror the standards of an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) Inspection, so you’ll get a clear picture of your current performance and where improvements are needed.
We review:
After the audit, you'll receive a clear report with practical actions to help address any gaps and stay better prepared for inspection.
Tell us a little about your business and we'll arrange your first virtual food safety audit, on us.
A food safety audit is a structured review of how a food business manages food safety in practice. It can look at areas such as HACCP procedures, food-safety records, temperature control, cleaning, allergens, staff knowledge, pest control and corrective actions.
The aim of an FSG audit is to identify what is working well, highlight any gaps and give you practical actions to improve your food-safety processes.
The Food Standards Agency explains that food businesses must have food-safety management procedures based on HACCP principles and keep the relevant documents and records up to date. Read the FSA guidance on managing food safety
The exact scope will depend on your business, but a food safety audit can review areas including:
After an FSG audit, you'll receive a clear report showing the areas reviewed, any issues identified and the actions we recommend prioritising.
No. An FSG food safety audit is a private review designed to help you identify gaps and improve your processes. It is not an official inspection and does not determine your Food Hygiene Rating.
Official food hygiene inspections are carried out by authorised officers from your local authority, usually a Food Safety Officer or Environmental Health Officer. The rating awarded is based on what the officer finds during the official inspection. See the FSA guidance on food hygiene inspections
An FSG audit gives you an opportunity to identify and address potential problems before an official visit.
There is not a general legal requirement for every UK food business to purchase a private food safety audit.
Food businesses do, however, have legal responsibilities around food-safety management. The Food Standards Agency states that businesses must have procedures based on HACCP principles, keep relevant records up to date and regularly review their procedures. Read the FSA guidance on food-safety management
Some businesses may also have additional audit requirements because of customer contracts, internal company policies, accreditation schemes or the requirements of a larger group.
Regular audits can provide a practical way to check whether your food-safety procedures are being followed properly and identify areas that need attention.
There is no single audit frequency that is right for every food business. How often you audit should reflect factors such as the size and complexity of your operation, the level of risk, previous findings, changes to your business and any internal or customer requirements.
You may also want to arrange an audit:
The FSA requires food-safety management procedures to be regularly reviewed so that they continue to reflect how your business operates. See the FSA guidance on reviewing food-safety procedures
Yes. Food Safety Guru offers virtual food safety audits as well as on-site visits.
During a virtual audit, a manager or team member uses a phone or tablet to guide one of our food-safety professionals through the operation in real time. We can review working practices, ask questions, look at relevant records and identify areas that need attention.
Virtual audits can be particularly useful for regular reviews, follow-up audits and organisations that want a flexible way to review food-safety standards across several locations.
For more complex operations or where a detailed physical review of the premises is required, an on-site audit may be more appropriate.
Before the audit, we'll explain what your team needs to prepare.
During the session, your manager or team member guides us through the operation by video while we review relevant food-safety practices and records.
A typical virtual audit can include:
The aim is to make the process practical and useful, rather than simply producing another checklist of observations.
A HACCP audit reviews how effectively your HACCP-based food-safety procedures are working in practice.
This can include looking at whether hazards have been identified appropriately, whether important controls are being monitored, whether corrective actions are recorded and whether the relevant documents and records are being maintained.
The Food Standards Agency explains that HACCP involves identifying potential food-safety hazards, establishing appropriate controls, deciding what action should be taken when something goes wrong and keeping records to show that procedures are working. Read the FSA guidance on HACCP
An FSG food safety audit can include reviewing how your HACCP procedures are being applied as part of the wider operation.
The time required will depend on the size and complexity of your operation, the type of audit being carried out and how much needs to be reviewed.
A small single-site food business will usually require less time than a large hotel, care group or multi-site operation.
Before your audit, we'll discuss your setup and explain what to expect so your team can prepare and the session can be used efficiently.
Yes. A food safety audit can help identify gaps in your processes, records and working practices before an official Environmental Health Officer inspection takes place.
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme considers areas including hygienic food handling, the physical condition of the premises and how the business manages food safety. Read about the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme
An audit cannot guarantee a particular Food Hygiene Rating, but it can give you a clearer view of where attention may be needed and allow you to take corrective action before an official visit.
