Dairysafe’s new digital auditing capacity is proving very useful in identifying performance and non-conformance trends.
Each business in the non-export processing sector recently received correspondence from the Dairysafe CEO highlighting their audit performance, and where that result placed their business against all other non-export South Australian dairy processors.
Businesses were either positioned in the top 25%, middle 50% or bottom 25%. “This information enables us to focus on the work we need to do to help the poorer performers, while acknowledging those businesses with good to great results,” said Dairysafe CEO Geoff Raven.
“The same process will shortly be undertaken with the farming and transport sectors.”
With respect to non-conformance, the aggregated audit results have identified a number of opportunities where industry should re-focus efforts:
- Processors: microbiological testing is a key focus area, as has been previously identified. Other aspects that processors should review are allergen management; mock recalls; receival temperature recording; and internal audits.
- Farmers: the farm audits have isolated some minor issues where farmers can re-focus, including calibration; feed declarations; milk cooling rate; milk temperature monitoring; pest control records; and chemical spray records.
- Transporters: some common issues for companies to consider include HACCP flow charts; maintenance records; procedure records; and training in CIP procedures.
“Dairysafe will continue to pay particular attention to those businesses where major non-conformances are identified at audit,” Geoff said.
“It’s important that Dairysafe manages incidents of non-conformance appropriately to verify food safety programs are effective, that they adequately cover all aspects of dairy production, and to ensure appropriate corrective action has been initiated where non-conformance is identified.”
Major non-conformances are required to be corrected with a 30 day timeframe. Where additional assessment by Dairysafe is needed to review the correction of major non-conformance there will be a cost to the accredited business. This ensures that the compliant dairy sector doesn’t subsidise compliance and management of poor performing businesses.