Inspection, Auditing and Record Keeping
Inspection versus audit
An inspection is a regulatory check of compliance with the Act and regulations; it can result in sampling, notices or prosecution. An audit is a systematic, independent review against a standard such as HACCP or ISO 22000 and usually ends with a findings report and corrective-action plan. Both need scope, criteria, evidence and objectivity.
Conduct and sampling
Open with credentials and purpose, then observe, interview and examine records. Follow the process from receiving to service. Take samples aseptically into sterile containers, label with date, time, product, batch and location, seal and record chain of custody. Photographs and notes should be factual and dated.
Records and traceability
Keep temperature logs, cleaning schedules, pest-control reports, training records, supplier approvals, complaints and recall tests. Traceability must identify one step back and one step forward. Records should be legible, signed, dated and retained for the required period; retrospective completion is a fraud risk.
Worked example
A fridge displays 9°C and the log shows 4°C for the same time. Reasoning: verify with a calibrated probe, check when the log was completed, assess product time-temperature exposure, and hold or reject affected food. The discrepancy is a record-integrity finding, not just a temperature finding.
Traps
Treating an audit as an inspection; sampling without chain of custody; accepting records without signatures; failing to verify corrective actions; writing not applicable without justification.