Remote Food Safety Audits: Good Practice for Sites and Auditors
Remote audits are now a normal part of food safety assurance. They work well when the technology, the documents and the site tour are planned in advance.
Key points
- A remote audit follows the same audit principles as an on-site audit; only the way evidence is collected changes.
- Most problems come from poor preparation: weak connectivity, missing documents and an unplanned site tour.
- Whether a remote audit is accepted depends on the scheme owner and certification body, so check before you plan.
When a remote audit makes sense
Remote techniques suit document and record review, interviews, supplier audits and follow-up of corrective actions. They are harder to rely on for hygiene, pest control and the condition of buildings and equipment, where the auditor needs to see, hear and sometimes smell the site. Many programmes therefore use a blended approach: documents remotely, then a shorter visit on site.
Before the audit
- Agree the scope, the agenda and which parts are remote
- Test the platform, cameras and connectivity in every area to be shown, including production and storage
- Share documents securely in advance and name a person responsible for retrieving records
- Plan the route of the live tour on a site map
- Agree how confidential information and recordings are handled
During the audit
- Let the auditor direct the camera, not the site
- Show wide views first, then details such as labels, seals and gauges
- Keep interviews with operators unscripted
- Record requests for evidence so nothing is missed
After the audit
Findings are reported and followed up in the same way as an on-site audit. Review what worked and what did not, and keep the technology and document arrangements ready: they are also useful for internal and supplier audits.