Food Safety Certification Support

The compliance challenge

Certification projects fail most often on sequencing and evidence: sites build documentation quickly, then discover the standard also requires months of operating records, completed internal audits, a mock recall and a management review.

Choosing the right standard, scope and certification body is another early decision with long-term consequences.

About this service

Certification support provides a defined roadmap with owners and dates, so the documentation, implementation and evidence phases run in the right order and the audit is booked when the site can realistically pass it.

Consultancy prepares and supports the business. Certification is provided by an independent accredited certification body, and certification cannot be guaranteed by any consultant.

Scope of support

• Standard and scope selection advice
• Guidance on engaging an accredited certification body
• Project planning, milestones and resourcing
• System and supporting program development
• Implementation and staff training
• Internal audit program execution
• Corrective actions and root cause analysis
• Management review facilitation
• Pre-certification assessment
• Certification audit preparation
• Audit-day support where permitted
• Post-audit corrective action closure evidence
• Ongoing compliance support between audits

How the consultancy works

1. 1

   Initial consultation

   Clarify drivers, customers, scope and target timeline.

2. 2

   Gap assessment

   Establish the compliance baseline against the chosen standard.

3. 3

   Project planning

   Sequence the work with owners, dates and resource requirements.

4. 4

   System development

   Develop the food safety plan, procedures and records.

5. 5

   Supporting programs

   Establish prerequisite programmes and supporting procedures.

6. 6

   Implementation

   Roll the system out into production and start generating records.

7. 7

   Staff training

   Train users, monitors and the technical team.

8. 8

   Internal audit

   Complete the internal audit program across the system and site.

9. 9

   Corrective actions

   Close findings with root cause analysis and verified effectiveness.

10. 10

    Management review

    Hold and document the review with the required inputs and outputs.

11. 11

    Pre-certification assessment

    Simulate the audit and close residual gaps.

12. 12

    Audit preparation

    Prepare evidence, brief the team and confirm logistics.

13. 13

    Audit support

    Support the site during the certification audit where permitted.

14. 14

    Corrective action closure

    Prepare and submit closure evidence within required timeframes.

15. 15

    Ongoing compliance

    Maintain the system between surveillance and recertification audits.

Compliance and operational benefits

• A realistic, sequenced roadmap instead of a last-minute scramble
• Evidence generated in time to satisfy the standard
• Clear separation of consultancy support and independent certification
• Support through the audit and the closure period

Frequently asked questions