Audit & compliance
A structured path to audit readiness and lasting compliance
From the first conversation to ongoing support, our nine-step workflow helps food businesses find gaps early, fix them properly and stay ready for inspections and audits.
Our workflow
Nine steps from discussion to sustained compliance
Every step produces something concrete: a requirement map, a graded gap list, reviewed documents, trained people, an audit report and verified corrective actions.
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Step 1
Initial discussion
We understand your business, products, premises, customers and what you want to achieve.
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Step 2
Requirement assessment
We identify the regulatory, customer and standard requirements that apply to you.
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Step 3
Gap analysis
We compare current practice with those requirements and grade each gap by risk.
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Step 4
Documentation review
We review manuals, SOPs, records and licences for accuracy, completeness and control.
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Step 5
Implementation support
We help put controls into daily practice, on the floor, with your team.
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Step 6
Training
We train the people who perform, supervise and verify each control.
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Step 7
Internal audit / readiness assessment
We audit the system objectively before any inspector or certification body does.
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Step 8
Corrective action
We support root-cause analysis and verify that actions are effective.
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Step 9
Ongoing compliance support
Periodic reviews, renewals tracking and support as your business grows.
Overview
How GrowCert supports you
Regular, objective review is the most reliable way to keep a food business compliant. Internal audits, gap analysis and risk assessment reveal weaknesses early, while due diligence helps you understand the compliance position of a site, supplier or acquisition.
GrowCert carries out structured internal and second-party style reviews and supports you in preparing for regulatory inspections and third-party audits. Findings are practical and prioritised, so your team knows exactly what to fix first. Our audits are advisory reviews for your internal use; they are not statutory inspections or certification audits.
What we support
Scope of support
Internal audits
Planned audits of food safety, hygiene and quality systems against your chosen standard and legal requirements.
Gap assessment
Structured comparison of current practice against a target standard, with a prioritised action plan.
Compliance assessment
Review of your operation against applicable regulatory and customer requirements.
Risk assessment
Identification and evaluation of food safety, quality and compliance risks with proportionate controls.
Inspection support
Document and site readiness for regulatory inspections and customer audits.
Corrective action planning
Root-cause guidance, action plans and follow-up verification of closures.
Regulatory due diligence
Compliance review of premises, suppliers or businesses ahead of contracts or investment.
Relevant standards & regulations
- Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and applicable regulations
- Schedule 4 hygiene and sanitary requirements
- HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS
- Customer and buyer codes of practice
Who it is for
- Sites preparing for certification or surveillance audits
- Businesses expecting regulatory inspections
- Multi-outlet restaurant, kitchen and retail operators
- Brands reviewing co-manufacturers and suppliers
What you gain
- An objective view of where you stand
- Findings graded by risk, with evidence
- A clear, prioritised corrective action plan
- Confidence before external scrutiny
What you receive
Clear, usable outputs
Our reports are written for action: evidence-based findings, graded by risk, with practical recommendations and a summary for decision makers.
- Audit plan and criteria agreed in advance
- Findings graded by risk, with objective evidence
- Root-cause guidance and a corrective action plan
- Follow-up verification of closures
- Management summary for decision makers
Want to know where you stand before an inspection or audit?
Start with a gap analysis or internal audit tailored to your site and standard.