All your food safety audit evidence,
in one audit pack
When the auditor asks for proof, you shouldn’t be opening binders. EthicalHub exports every record for a requirement in one go, in about a minute.
An audit pack is the set of records that proves your food safety system ran: CCP monitoring, prerequisite program (PRP) checks, supplier certificates, corrective actions, traceability, training and sign-offs. Auditors sample it to decide whether your plan works in practice. Most sites keep the records. Audits go wrong when those records take too long to find, or turn up with gaps.
What auditors ask for, and when
Every scheme and certifier runs audits a little differently. This is the usual shape of a day.
Scope and people
The auditor confirms the scope, the products and the site. They’ll ask who can answer for each area and where the records live.
Your plan and programs
Your HACCP plan, CCPs and critical limits, and the PRPs that support them. They check the plan is current and matches how you actually work.
What they see on the floor
The auditor watches the line and notes things to follow up. “Show me the cleaning record for that filler last Tuesday” is a typical request.
Proof, for specific dates
They pick dates, batches and suppliers, then ask for the matching CCP logs, PRP checks, certificates and corrective actions. This is where the clock runs.
One batch, up and down
Many audits include tracing a finished batch back to its raw material lots and suppliers. Every record in that chain has to be found and linked.
Findings
Anything you couldn’t show becomes a finding. A record you have but can’t produce counts the same as a record you don’t have.
Some audits are unannounced. SQF Edition 9, for example, requires one unannounced audit in each three-year certification cycle. Source: SQFI, Food Manufacturing Code Edition 9. Confirm the rules for your scheme and edition with your certifier.
The problem is finding records, not filling them in
Your team does the checks. The trouble starts when the proof is spread across five places.
Paper binders
Temperature sheets in one binder, cleaning in another, last year’s in a box. Finding one date means flicking through months of pages while the auditor waits.
Shared drives and inboxes
Supplier certificates saved as “cert_final_v2.pdf”, or still sitting in someone’s email. You can’t tell at a glance which one is current.
Spreadsheets
They hold the readings but not the story. An out-of-range result sits in one tab. The corrective action, if it was written up, sits somewhere else.
The one person who knows
Often only one person knows where everything is. If they’re sick or on leave on audit day, retrieval stalls.
Same auditor request, two very different answers
What producing the evidence looks like with scattered records, and with EthicalHub.
| The auditor asks for | Binders, drives and spreadsheets | With EthicalHub |
|---|---|---|
| CCP records for a given week | Find the right binder, then check every sheet is signed and has no blank days. | Filter by CCP and date, then export. Every entry is time-stamped and named. |
| A current certificate for every approved supplier | Search inboxes and folders, then check expiry dates one by one. | Certificates sit in the supplier vault with expiry dates, and alerts go out before they lapse. |
| What happened after an out-of-range reading | Match a spreadsheet row to a paper form, if one was filled in. | Deviations open a corrective action with root cause, owner, due date and evidence. |
| Raw material lots behind a batch | Cross-check delivery dockets against production sheets by hand. | Batch and lot numbers are captured at goods-in, linked to the supplier and receipt date. |
| Training and monthly sign-offs | Chase signatures and locate the latest training matrix. | Training records and monthly manager sign-offs are included in the pack. |
Every record for a requirement, in one export
Records are grouped by requirement, so the auditor sees the evidence for each program together.
CCP records
Monitoring readings against critical limits, who checked and when, and any deviation flagged at entry.
PRP records
Checks for all 18 prerequisite programs, from cleaning and pest control to allergen management.
Supplier certificates
Your approved supplier records, with certificates and their expiry dates.
Corrective actions
Non-conformances with root cause, owner, due date, evidence and close-out.
Traceability
Incoming goods logs with supplier, batch or lot number, storage and temperature.
Training, policies and sign-offs
Training records, facility policies and monthly manager sign-offs.
Example audit pack contents
A few sample lines, to show how records sit together under each requirement.
| Section | Example record | Shows the auditor |
|---|---|---|
| PRP 01 · Approved Supplier Program | Green Valley Organics · HACCP certificate · expiry date on file | The supplier is approved and its certificate is current |
| PRP 02 · Receiving and Delivery Controls | Organic Wheat Flour · Lot WF-2847 · Ambient · 18°C · COA verified by J. Davies, 7:15am | Goods were checked before use, and by whom |
| PRP 04 · Temperature Control | Chilled dairy received at 6.1°C · flagged · corrective action opened | The deviation was caught at entry |
| PRP 18 · Corrective Actions | Assigned to S. Murray (QA) · root cause recorded · closed with evidence | The issue was investigated and closed out |
Example audit pack contents. Illustrative only, with sample data. Your pack reflects your own HACCP plan, programs and records.
From daily checks to audit pack in about a minute
The pack is only as good as the records behind it. EthicalHub builds them as your team works, so when the auditor asks, you hand the evidence over in under a minute.
Log as it happens
Staff record checks on a phone or tablet. Each entry is time-stamped and named.
Close the loop
An out-of-range reading opens a corrective action. Nothing closes without sign-off.
Watch the gaps
A live readiness score across six areas shows overdue checks and expiring certificates before the auditor does.
Export when asked
Generate the full pack in one click, or filter by PRP, CCP or date for a single request.
Track scheme clauses
Working towards SQF, BRCGS or FSSC 22000? Plans with scheme workflows track progress clause by clause, with evidence notes.
Share with your consultant
Consultants see every client site, sign off corrective actions remotely and export audit reports. See how it works
Free: 59-point Retailer Audit Readiness Checklist (PDF + Excel)
See which records an auditor would ask for, and which ones you’d struggle to find today.
Related
Audit packs: common questions
What is a food safety audit pack?
What evidence do food safety auditors ask for?
How long does it take to export an audit pack in EthicalHub?
Can I export records for just one PRP, CCP or date range?
Does an audit pack replace my HACCP plan or certification?
Can my food safety consultant access my records?
Hand over the evidence in a minute.
See how your own CCPs, PRPs and supplier records turn into one audit pack.