Supporting a Canada GAP-Certified Produce Repacker with Audit Preparation

Are You Frustrated Over Audit Preparations and just didn't seem to know how to make it better?

What Went Wrong?

The Situation

A busy manager leads a fresh produce repacking facility with CanadaGAP certification that is also working on business development. The facility’s personnel was partially trained with Canada Gap requirements. While the facility was committed to maintaining food safety and certification standards, the complexity of record-keeping and audit requirements stretched the capacity of the existing team. The facility needed support to ensure compliance and smooth audit preparation without detracting from business development and other core tasks.

Why they face the Challenges?

Food Safety Challenges

The facility’s primary challenges were:

  • Limited Qualified Staff: The existing team had a basic understanding of CanadaGAP requirements.
  • Audit Preparation: Preparing for annual audits requires significant effort and time, diverting attention from other important business activities.
  • Maintaining Compliance: The facility must ensure ongoing compliance with CanadaGAP standards despite staff shortages and limited knowledge.
How SFPM Consulting Helps?

The Solution

To address these challenges, Felicia and her team provided comprehensive support to the facility. The approach included:

  • Document Review and Guidance

Felicia worked with the client to review their current documentation and identify areas for improvement. She guided the on-site staff on proper record-keeping and helped them set up a monthly review process to ensure consistency.

  • Audit Preparation

Felicia’s team took charge of preparing for the annual CanadaGAP audit. They updated the food safety plans, reviewed all records for compliance, and conducted mock audits to identify any potential issues.

  • Staff Training and Support

To address the lack of qualified staff, Felicia offered basic training to key personnel, ensuring they understood CanadaGAP requirements and knew how to maintain accurate records.

The Results

With Felicia’s support, the facility was able to streamline its record-keeping processes and prepare for the annual CanadaGAP audit with minimal stress. The key outcomes were:

  • Simplified Record-Keeping: The monthly document review process helped the facility maintain accurate records without overwhelming the staff.
  • Smooth Audit Preparation: The facility was well-prepared for the annual audit, requiring minimal effort from the in-house team, allowing them to focus on business development and operations.
  • Successful CanadaGAP Audit: The audit was completed successfully, with the facility retaining its CanadaGAP certification without any significant issues.

Lessons Learned

This case study demonstrates the importance of expert support for food safety compliance and audit preparation. 

By working with Felicia, the facility was able to overcome staff shortages and ensure compliance with CanadaGAP requirements, allowing them to focus on their core business tasks. 

Proper guidance and audit preparation support can make a significant difference in maintaining food safety certification and business success.

Contact us at 1-236-513-2488 and get your next audit supported by food safety management system experts from SFPM Consulting. 

We can help you assess your challenges and develop step-by-step solutions to help you resolve them. 

That way, you don’t have to google your way through. Let us help you make an orderly difference in your food safety management program. 

We helped numerous small and medium businesses pass their initial and recertification audits. A recertification audit can be harder than the first audit. But, if you have us with you, things become easier. We want to make it easier for you and your team.