Gap audit checklist
A good agricultural practices (gap) audit checklist is a tool used to determine a producer’s compliance with food safety practices based on industry standards and the usfda’s recommendations. use this comprehensive checklist to discover areas for improvement in current agricultural practices and help address food safety issues.
What does this form include?
This form contains 33 sections:
Water Usage
- What is the source of irrigation water? (Pond, Stream, Well, Municipal, Other)
Sewage Treatment
- The farm sewage treatment system/septic system is functioning properly and there is no evidence of leaking or runoff.
- There is no municipal/commercial sewage treatment facility or waste material landfill adjacent to the farm.
Animals/Wildlife/Livestock
- Crop production areas are not located near or adjacent to dairy, livestock, or fowl production facilities unless adequate barriers exist.
Manure and Municipal Biosolids
- Please choose one of the following options as it relates to the farm operations:
Traceability
- Each production area is identified or coded to enable traceability in the event of a recall.
Comments/Recommendations:
Conclusion: Part 1 - Farm Review
Field Sanitation and Hygiene
- A documented pre-harvest assessment is made on the crop production areas. Risks and possible sources of crop contamination are noted and assessed.
Field Harvesting and Transportation
- All harvesting containers and bulk hauling vehicles that come in direct contact with product are cleaned and/or sanitized on a scheduled basis and kept as clean as practicable.
Conclusion: Part 2 - Field Harvest And Field Packing Activities
- Field Harvest And Field Packing Activities
Receiving
- Product delivered from the field which is held in a staging area prior to packing or processing is protected from possible contamination.
Washing/Packing Line
- Source water used in the packing operation is potable.
- If applicable, the temperature of processing water used in dump tanks, flumes, etc., is monitored and is kept at temperatures appropriate for the commodity.
- Processing water is sufficiently treated to reduce microbial contamination.
- Water-contact surfaces, such as dump tanks, flumes, wash tanks and hydro coolers, are cleaned and/or sanitized on a scheduled basis.
- Water treatment (strength levels and pH) and exposure time is monitored and the facility has demonstrated it is appropriate for the product.
- Food contact surfaces are in good condition; cleaned and/or sanitized prior to use and cleaning logs are maintained.
Packing House Worker Health & Hygiene
- Employee facilities (locker rooms, lunch and break areas, etc.) are clean and located away from packing area.
Packing House General Housekeeping
- Only food grade approved and labeled lubricants are used in the packing equipment/machinery.
- Chemicals not approved for use on product are stored and segregated away from packing area.
Pest Control
- Measures are taken to exclude animals or pests from packing and storage facilities.
- There is an established pest control program for the facility.
Conclusion: Part 3 - House Packing Facility
Product, Containers & Pallets
- The storage facility is cleaned and maintained in an orderly manner.
Ice & Refrigeration
- The water used for cooling and/or making ice is potable.
- Manufacturing, storage, and transportation facilities used in making and delivering ice used for cooling the product have been sanitized.
- Climate-controlled rooms are monitored for temperature and logs are maintained.
- Thermometer(s) are checked for accuracy and records are available for review.
- Refrigeration system condensation does not come in contact with produce.
- Refrigeration equipment (condensers, fans, etc.) is cleaned on a scheduled basis.
- Iced product does not drip on pallets of produce stored below.
Transportation
- Prior to the loading process, conveyances are required to be clean, in good physical condition, free from disagreeable odors, and from obvious dirt/debris.
- Produce items are not loaded with potentially contaminating products.
Worker Health and Personal Hygiene
- Employee facilities (locker rooms, lunch and break areas, etc.) are clean and located away from storage, shipping, and receiving areas.
Conclusion: Part 4 - Storage And Transportation
- Storage And Transportation
Note: Part 5 is no longer in use. Proceed to Part 6.
Storage Facility/Temperature Control
- The facility is clean and maintained in an orderly manner.
Repacking/Reconditioning
- Does the facility repack and/or recondition product?
Shipping/Transportation
- Prior to the loading process, conveyances are required to be clean, in good physical condition, free from disagreeable odors and from obvious dirt/debris.
- Produce items are not loaded with potentially contaminating products.
Conclusion: Part 6 - Wholesale Distribution Center/Terminal Warehouses
- Wholesale Distribution Center/Terminal Warehouses
Secure Employee/Visitor Procedures
- The company has a documented food defense plan and a person has been designated to oversee it.
Name:
Name of management representative:
Secure Facility Procedures
- Uniforms, name tags, or identification badges are collected from employees prior to the termination of employment.
- The mailroom is located away from the packing/storage facilities.
- Computer access is restricted to specific personnel.
- A system of traceability of computer transactions has been established.
- A minimum level of background checks has been established for all employees.
- Routine security checks of the premises are performed for signs of tampering, criminal or terrorist activity.
- Perimeter of facility is secured by fencing or other deterrent.
- Checklists are used to verify the security of doors, windows, and other points of entry.
- All keys to the establishment are accounted for.
- The facility has an emergency lighting system.
- The facility is enclosed.
- Storage or vehicles/containers/trailers/railcars that are not being used are kept locked.
- Delivery schedules have been established.
- The off-loading of incoming materials is supervised.
- The organization has an established policy for rejecting deliveries.
- Unauthorized deliveries are not accepted.
- The company does not accept returned (empty) containers for packing of product unless they are sanitized containers intended for reuse.
- The facility has a program in place to inspect product returned to the facility for tampering.
- The company has identified the individual(s), with at least one backup, who are responsible for recalling the product.
- The company has performed a successful mock recall of product to the facility.
- Product imported from outside the United States is segregated from domestic product.
- Allergens handled by the facility are segregated from products to avoid cross contamination.
- Floor plans, product flow plans, and/or segregation charts are in a secure location.
- The organization has registered with the FDA and has been issued a registration number (do not record the number on checklist).
Conclusion: Part 7 - Preventive Food Defense Procedures
- Preventive Food Defense Procedures
Overall Comments
Name and Signature
Use this template