C2003 FSSC 22000 Internal Auditor Course

About the Course

Learn how to plan, conduct, report, and follow up first-party audits of food safety management systems in line with ISO 19011, using a scheme-specific case study and role-play activities to build real auditing skills. The course emphasizes auditor roles and behaviors, process and risk-based auditing, and writing clear, traceable findings that support capability, effectiveness, and improvement.

Delivery Format

• Public or Private delivery. On site at your facility or live remote via Zoom.
• Two sessions (in person), or Three sessions (Live-remote).
• English delivery, Spanish available upon request.
• Maximum 9 participants.
• Exemplar Global Certified course, materials provided to all participants

Who Should Attend

Prospective or current internal auditors, auditing managers, system managers and users, implementers and consultants, and leaders who sponsor or rely on the internal audit program. Participants are expected to have working knowledge of management systems in a food sector context, relevant legislation, PRPs per ISO/TS 22002-x, HACCP principles, and ISO 22000 requirements, with Implementing FSSC 22000 recommended.

Course Agenda

1.        Introduction to auditing, purpose of audits, types of audits, the audit cycle

2.        Auditors, roles and responsibilities, principles, skills, and desired behaviors

3.        Process and risk-based auditing, how to follow audit trails

4.        Planning the audit, pre-audit activities, scopes, efficient audit plans

5.        Conducting the audit, meetings, interviewing, checklists, value-adding techniques

6.        Reporting, identifying conformity and nonconformity, traceable reports, corrective action basics, evaluating responses

7.        Concept review, formative assessment

8.        Practice audits, interviewing top management, auditing product realization processes, documenting and presenting findings, closing meeting

9.        Final assessment

Learning Outcomes

After this course, participants will be able to

• explain the audit process and auditor responsibilities per ISO 19011
• plan, conduct, and report internal audits that evaluate effective implementation and maintenance of the FSMS
• use a practical, case-study approach to run role-play audits and produce traceable findings
• prepare clear inputs for follow-up and corrective action, aligned with the internal audit program

Why this course will positively impact your business

• Prevention through better verification, a more capable internal audit program finds relevant gaps early and helps keep the FSMS current
• Structured, risk-based audits, common criteria and audit trails make findings comparable across processes and sites
• Practical mitigation, clearer, traceable nonconformities lead to corrective actions that reduce real exposure, not just close paperwork
• Engagement, auditors learn behaviors that increase cooperation and reduce defensiveness, improving audit value and follow through
• Stronger integration, internal audits connect PRPs, HACCP, and management system elements, strengthening your FSSC 22000 implementation

Completion Requirements

Full attendance, active participation in all exercises and role plays, completion of assigned prework if applicable, and passing the final exam. A minimum overall score of 70% is required to pass.