SALSA Audit Checklist: Everything You Need Before Your Auditor Arrives

How to use this checklist

Your SALSA audit takes roughly 5-6 hours. The auditor will work through every section of the SALSA standard, checking your documentation, inspecting your premises, and talking to your team.

This checklist mirrors what the auditor will assess. Work through it section by section in the weeks before your audit. If you can tick everything off, you're in strong shape.

1. HACCP and food safety management

This is the foundation of your entire audit. Without a documented HACCP plan, nothing else matters.

Your HACCP plan should include:

• A documented hazard analysis covering every process step
• Identified Critical Control Points (CCPs) with defined critical limits
• Monitoring procedures for each CCP (who checks, how often, what they measure)
• Documented corrective actions for when critical limits are breached
• Verification procedures (internal audits, record reviews, calibration)
• Evidence that the plan has been reviewed within the last 12 months
• Evidence that the plan was updated when products or processes changed

The auditor will read through your plan in detail. They'll check that the hazards match your actual products and processes, that your CCPs are genuine control points (not just general hygiene measures), and that your critical limits are measurable and validated.

If you built your plan with Sage on FoodSafe, the 12-step Codex methodology is followed automatically and the output is formatted exactly how auditors expect it.

2. Prerequisite programmes

These are the general hygiene practices that underpin your HACCP system. The auditor expects written procedures and evidence of implementation for each:

• Cleaning and sanitation - documented schedules stating what's cleaned, how often, with what chemicals, by whom, and how effectiveness is verified
• Pest control - either a professional pest control contract with visit reports, or a documented self-monitoring system with bait station maps and inspection records
• Maintenance - a planned maintenance schedule for all equipment, plus records of repairs and servicing
• Personal hygiene - a written policy covering handwashing, protective clothing, illness reporting, jewellery, and personal items
• Waste management - procedures for waste segregation, storage, and collection
• Water supply - evidence that your water supply is safe for food production (mains water is generally accepted, but private supplies need testing)

3. Premises and environment

The auditor will physically walk through your facility. They're looking at:

1. External areas - are outside areas clean and tidy? No standing water, no pest harbourage, no open waste containers near entrances?
2. Building fabric - walls, floors, and ceilings in good repair? No flaking paint, cracked tiles, or damaged surfaces where bacteria could accumulate?
3. Layout and workflow - does your premises layout prevent cross-contamination? Is there a logical flow from raw materials to finished product?
4. Handwashing facilities - dedicated handwashing basins (separate from food preparation sinks) with hot and cold running water, soap, and hygienic drying?
5. Ventilation - adequate extraction to prevent condensation, steam, and cooking fumes?
6. Lighting - sufficient for food preparation tasks, and protected against breakage (shatterproof covers or tubes)?
7. Storage - ingredients stored off the floor, stock rotation in place (first in, first out), raw and ready-to-eat separated?

4. Temperature control

The auditor will check your temperature monitoring system thoroughly:

• Fridge and freezer temperature records - consistent, twice-daily checks with actual readings (not just "OK")
• Cooking temperature records - core temperature checks with probe thermometer readings
• Delivery temperature checks - evidence that incoming deliveries are temperature-checked on arrival
• Cooling records - if you cool cooked products, evidence of time and temperature monitoring
• Calibration records - evidence that your thermometers are calibrated regularly
• Breach records - evidence that out-of-range readings were identified and corrective action was taken

Gaps in temperature records are one of the most common audit findings. The auditor will look for consistency over time, not just the last week. Aim for at least 4-6 weeks of unbroken records before your audit.

5. Traceability and recall

The auditor will test your traceability system live during the audit. They'll pick a product and ask you to:

1. Trace forward - identify every customer who received that product or batch
2. Trace backward - identify every raw material that went into it, including supplier, batch number, and delivery date
3. Complete the exercise within a reasonable time - if it takes you 30 minutes to trace one product, your system needs work

You also need:

• A documented recall procedure
• Evidence of a mock recall conducted within the last 12 months (the auditor will ask for this)
• Contact details for all customers and suppliers readily available
• A system for batch coding finished products

FoodSafe's traceability system tracks ingredients from supplier to finished product with full lot tracking. If the auditor asks you to trace a product, you can do it in minutes on screen.

6. Allergen management

With 14 declarable allergens in the UK, this section carries significant weight:

• Allergen information for every raw material (from supplier specifications)
• An allergen matrix for every product showing which allergens are present
• Controls to prevent allergen cross-contamination (separate utensils, production scheduling, cleaning between allergen changeovers)
• Clear allergen labelling on all products (especially important for PPDS under Natasha's Law)
• Staff allergen awareness training records
• A procedure for handling allergen-related customer complaints

The auditor may quiz your staff on allergen awareness. Make sure everyone who handles food knows the 14 allergens and understands your cross-contamination controls.

7. Supplier approval

You need a documented system for approving and monitoring your suppliers:

• An approved supplier list showing every supplier you use
• Risk assessment for each supplier (based on the type of product they supply and the risk it carries)
• Evidence of supplier approval - certificates, specifications, questionnaires, or audit reports
• Monitoring of supplier certification expiry dates
• A procedure for handling non-approved suppliers (for emergency purchases)
• Raw material specifications for every ingredient

FoodSafe's supplier register tracks all of this, including automatic alerts when supplier certifications are approaching expiry - so you're never caught with an expired certificate on audit day.

8. Product labelling and specifications

If you produce labelled products, the auditor will check:

• Ingredient lists are accurate and complete
• Allergens are correctly declared and emphasised (bold, italic, or underlined)
• Use-by or best-before dates are appropriate and validated
• Storage instructions are correct
• Batch coding allows traceability
• Net quantity declarations are accurate
• Business name and address are included

If you produce for other businesses (own-label or co-packing), you'll also need agreed product specifications and evidence that you're meeting them.

9. Staff training

The auditor will want to see:

• Training records for all food handlers (names, dates, courses completed, certificate numbers)
• Level 2 Food Hygiene certificates as a minimum for anyone handling food
• Allergen awareness training records
• HACCP awareness training for relevant staff
• Induction records for new starters
• Evidence of refresher training (best practice is every 2-3 years)

The auditor may also interview your team members to check their understanding. Common questions include: "What would you do if you found a temperature reading outside the acceptable range?" or "Can you name some of the 14 allergens?"

10. Documentation and records

Across all the sections above, the auditor is assessing the quality and completeness of your records:

1. Consistency - are records filled in every day, or are there gaps?
2. Accuracy - are actual values recorded, not just "OK" or "normal"?
3. Timeliness - are records completed at the time of the activity, not backdated?
4. Completeness - are all required fields filled in (date, time, who, what, result)?
5. Accessibility - can you find any record quickly when asked?
6. Retention - are you keeping records for at least 12 months?

Digital records have a significant advantage here. They're timestamped automatically, can't be backdated, and can be searched and compiled instantly. FoodSafe's audit pack generator compiles every record, document, and certificate into a single professional PDF - ready for your auditor in one click.

The week before your audit

In the final week, do a complete walkthrough:

1. Re-read the SALSA standard - refresh yourself on every section
2. Review all records - check for gaps, missing signatures, incomplete entries
3. Deep clean - not just your normal clean, but attention to areas that get overlooked (behind equipment, underneath shelving, extraction filters)
4. Check calibration - are your thermometers calibrated? Is the certificate current?
5. Check supplier certificates - are any expired or expiring?
6. Brief your team - make sure everyone knows the audit is happening and understands their role
7. Prepare your documents - have everything organised and accessible, not scattered across folders and filing cabinets
8. Do a mock traceability exercise - pick a random product and trace it both ways

On the day

• Have a nominated person ready to accompany the auditor throughout
• Make sure all documentation is accessible (printed or on screen)
• Keep production running normally - the auditor wants to see your real operation, not a staged version
• Be honest about any gaps or issues - auditors respect transparency
• Take notes on anything the auditor highlights, even informally

Remember: non-conformances aren't the end of the world. You get 28 days to close them out. The goal isn't a perfect audit - it's demonstrating that you have effective systems in place and the commitment to maintain them.

Food safety compliance, handled.