Avoiding automatic failure of a GAP audit
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EmailNew factsheet covers the ways growers can automatically fail an audit and suggests ways of avoiding them
There are some situations that stop an audit in its tracks. These situations force the auditor to assess a farm as automatically unsatisfactory and can spell disaster for a grower. It’s important for growers to understand these situations so as not to be caught off guard.
Situations that can cause an automatic unsatisfactory are:
- The presence of an immediate food safety risk
- The presence or evidence of rodents or excessive insects during packing or storing
- Observations of employee practices that may jeopardize food safety
- Falsification of records
- Not having a designated food safety person on staff
- Not having a GAP Manual.
By making sure these major components to food safety are in place, you can avoid a very short, unsuccessful audit. Avoiding these major hurdles will not guarantee that you will pass an audit, but they do get you one step closer.
If a grower has specific questions or has difficulty tailoring GAPs to their farm, they are welcome to contact the Agrifood Safety Work Group at gaps@msu.edu or 517-788-4292. For more information on an automatic unsatisfactory, ask for bulletin AFSM032-01 in your email or phone conversation. For more pesticide and fertilizer application policy information, check out the Agrifood Safety Minute.
