Official control through AUDIT: implementation and responses in food industries falling within a Local Health Unit of Turin Province

This communication reports the results of audit activity on a number of food processing plants pertaining to ASLTO5. The activities, undertaken between 2008 and 2010, are related to an audit programme planning, implemented with 2 official controls for each plant, in 48 premises recognized under the Regulation (CE) 854/2004, among those, 34 processing plants (cutting and processing of food of animal origin) and 14 abattoirs. Data included in audit reports have been analyzed with Excel software, classifying detected non compliances (n.c.) in 8 categories linked to specific food safety risk factors (structure, operative hygiene, personnel hygiene, pest control, temperature control, management of by-products, traceability, HACCP/records). By the time of the audit 83% of the inspected premises showed structural n.c.; structural aspects are the most critical point (121 n.c. out of 264), followed by operative hygiene (25% of total n.c.) and pest control (13.6%). By the time of the second audit series, however, occurred a significant reduction of n.c. in both processing plants and abattoirs, falling from 264 to152, with a reduction of n.c. detection of more than 40%. The best response capacity among operators is related to pest control and HACCP plan/records. The audit procedure implemented, a part from providing a comprehensive and objective evaluation method of the food safety management system put in place by the operators, allowed, if compared to former procedures, a more objective and comprehensive evaluation of the n.c. trend and therefore of the food safety risk factors, estimating the efficacy of the control activity.