Food safety lead auditor is an advanced career. For instance, food safety lead auditor is an uplift in your career. Briefly lets discuss the three steps in which you can become a competent auditor.
Who is a Food safety lead auditor?
Food safety lead auditor reviews a food industry’s Food Safety Management System (FSMS). Namely, ISO 22000, BRCGs and integrated management systems (IMS) in the industry. They inspect and retrospect the food safety measures, hygiene and reviews the food standard with the PDCA improvement tool.
Finally they are the ones who grants a food industry food safety certificates.
Food safety lead auditor career -Steps
Indeed its your experience working in an ISO 22000 and BRCGs leads the way. You can go for first, second and third party audits and freelance food safety auditing. This is a promising career.
A food science, food technology , food processing graduation and post graduation student can definitely choose auditing career.
Finally lets discuss the career steps to become a food safety lead auditor.
1. Earn a degree in food science program
Earning a degree in food science or food technology related courses is the first step. Obviously this is your foundation towards a food safety auditor career. Definitely these programs gives you an outline about food safety auditing.
2.Choose career in Food Safety
Afterwards next step will be starting your profession in food safety field. This can be in quality control, hygiene officer, food safety officer and food technologist.
3. Experience is knowledge
Therefore choosing a career in food safety accelerates. So as well told experience is knowledge. Increase your experience and practical know how in HACCP, ISO 22000 and BRCGs food safety management tools. Go for add on certifications for a food safety officer.
4. Be in a Food Safety Team
So when you are in a standard food industry, a food safety team is formed. As a member of food safety, experience in auditing, surveillance audits and food inspection audits increases. Make sure to utilize every parameters in food safety inspections.
Be thorough about the Pre requisite programs, food safety manuals and inspection guidelines. Make your perspective on food inspections. Working in different food industries gives you a vast knowledge. From catering to FMCG type of food inspections vary.
Finally you must gain the knowledge of a food safety auditor in :
- planning,
- forming,
- charting
- auditing skills
5. Join a competent Food safety training-certification body.
After receiving a much confidence in the field of food safety; now you can choose the best and competent certification body. Of course there are certifications body around the globe for food safety auditor training.
This is a three to five days training with a written exam at the end. During the course technical tests and practicing of auditing skills are being trained.
Personnel who pass both the examination and continuous assessment will be issued a certificate of achievement that satisfies the formal training requirements for an individual seeking certification food lead auditor. The certificate of achievement is valid for a period of five years.
Benefits of food safety auditor training
- Trains the need of an FSMS, FSMS standards, management audits and third party certification
- The role of a food auditor in planning, conducting, reporting and following up an FSMS audit in accordance with ISO 19011:2018.
- Knowledge of live inspections, major and minor non conformances during an audit.
- Document control and record keeping in FSMS.
- Plan, conduct, report and follow up an audit.
Author: Meera Jacob
A Food Safety Officer and Food Technologist in nature. Auditing and observing food safety systems is a prior interest. Writing and describing my experience is another passion. The food Industry is a diverse area with food safety as its prime focus to flourish. And that makes me more enthusiastic to work on various Non-Conformances and Risk Analysis. Happy Food Safetying to all Food Safety Professionals !!!
