Food supplier audits

What is a food supplier audit?

Importers, retailers and consumers of food products all require high levels of confidence in the reliability, quality and production capacity of vendors and suppliers. A supplier audit is a tailor-made programme that assesses a supplier’s quality systems, as well as its workplace environment and ability to meet standards set by either the client or TÜV SÜD. A food supplier audit can ensure that your vendors and suppliers are able to undertake and act upon your specific requirements.

Why is a food supplier audit important?

A supplier audit offers businesses several key benefits, including:

• Avoid wasted investment and customer disappointment by only choosing suppliers who can deliver as agreed
• Ensure the supplier maintains high hygiene standards throughout the production process
• Ensure that your manufacturer undertakes continuous improvements and operates efficiently to lower costs
• Determine whether the products being manufactured fulfil the correct requirements

Why choose TÜV SÜD for your food supplier audit?

At TÜV SÜD, our independent experts have decades of experience conducting supplier quality audits. We provide you with an accurate supplier audit report that helps you to identify risks, enhance quality and improve productivity – all of which saves you time and money.

In addition, a test report from the world’s leading independent assessment body helps you inspire greater confidence in your brand among your customers, helping you gain faster access to the market.

What is covered by our food supplier audit checklist?

TÜV SÜD’s supplier audit checklist covers a range of supplier evaluations and vendor audits to suit your business’s requirements, as well as conformity with international standards. Our service includes:

• Food hygiene audits
• Microbiological testing
• Chemical testing
• Physical product testing
• Supplier quality audit training or qualification
• Fit in hygiene (E-learning)

We can also conduct:

• During production inspection (DUPRO)
• Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI)
• Loading Supervision (LS) and other customised inspection services
• Gap assessment – we identify areas of non-conformity in the supplier/vendor’s supply chain, so that gaps can be targeted for improvement
• On-site factory audit – we perform an evaluation of the supplier or vendor’s on-site quality systems, as well as their workplace environment and capabilities
• Audit report – our auditors prepare an expert supplier audit report based on their observations as well as their subjective evaluations
• Follow-up audit – TÜV SÜD follows up on the initial audit to determine if the supplier/vendor factory has made improvements based on the recommendations of the report.