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Food Safety Audits - FSSAI approved | Equinox Lab

Audits and Inspections

Home Audits and Inspections

What are Audits and Inspections?

FSSAI Audits and Inspections form a crucial point in the Food Safety Management System (FSMS), which displays the level of compliance observed by the Food Business Operator (FBO) with FSSAI.
Audits comprise of -
  • Gap Audits: Identification of loop holes existing in the premises in terms of food handling, preservation, infrastructure, training, etc.
  • Hygiene Audits: Highlighting the hygiene of the premises, machines, and utensils used, personal hygiene, as well as maintaining the overall cleanliness of the site
  • Operational Audits: Detailed analysis of the restaurant and kitchen audit; its planning, process and outcome


Inspections consists of -
  • Self Inspections: Inspecting the site and identifying the non-compliances, with an evaluation score. This is done by checklists provided by the FSSAI.
  • Third-Party Inspections:Either a registered government body (FSSAI) or private Food Safety Consultancy conducts Inspections at your site.
  • Follow-up Inspection:These inspection occur when a facility has been marked under non-compliance from a previous inspection. They take place not more than 2 weeks from the initial inspection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is auditing and inspection of the food business necessary?

Timely audits and inspections will strengthen the food safety surveillance system and promote compliance with the regulatory bodies’ guidelines, while at the same time ensuring safe food to the consumers.

How audit is performed in the food industry?

In a nutshell, audits are performed by –

  • Defining the Audit Management Protocol to the FBO as described in the FSS Regulations 2018
  • Performing the duties accordingly, in a professional unbiased way
  • Maintaining confidentiality
Who is responsible for auditing food processing?

The audit framework involves shared responsibilities between the Food Authority, Audit Agency, Auditors and the FBO; all working towards a systematic implementation of the audit management protocol as described in the FSS Regulations 2018.

What are 3 types of audits?
  • Compliance Audit – to check whether you have complied with all the applicable safety laws, standards and other requirements.
  • Program Audit – to check the safety program’s implementation along with any mandatory program prescribed by the government
  • System Audit – the overall audit comprising the above 2 as well.