Food Defense Checklist

Use this Food Defense Checklist to assess and strengthen measures protecting food from contamination, securing facility access, and ensuring integrity.

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Food Defense Checklist



Food Defense Plan & Management (Regulatory)

1. Does the facility have and implement a written food defense plan?


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2. Does the written plan include the vulnerability assessment, mitigation strategies, and procedures for monitoring, corrective actions, and verification?


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3. Is the written food defense plan signed and dated by the owner, operator, or agent in charge when first completed and when modified?


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4. Has the food defense plan been reanalyzed as a whole at least once every 3 years?


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5. Has the food defense plan been revised whenever a significant change in activities creates a reasonable potential for a new or increased vulnerability?


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Personnel & Training

1. Do all facility personnel receive training in food defense awareness (as new employees and annually)?


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2. Have employees been trained in security procedures and instructed to report unusual activities?


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3. Are personnel who perform activities associated with food defense under the supervision of, or are they, a qualified individual?


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4. Are individuals assigned tasks like preparing the food defense plan or reanalysis trained externally and qualified specifically for that task?


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5. Are supervisory personnel responsible for food defense compliance clearly assigned and possess the necessary education, training, and experience?


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6. Are new employees' work references, addresses, phone numbers, and information on their criminal record or immigration status verified


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7. Is management alerted for unusual employee behavior (e.g., workers staying after shift or accessing areas outside their responsibility)?


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Vulnerability Assessment & Mitigation Strategies

1. Has the facility conducted a vulnerability assessment for each food type to identify significant vulnerabilities and actionable process steps


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2. Does the vulnerability assessment consider the possibility of an inside attacker?


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3. Does the assessment evaluate the potential public health impact (severity/scale), the degree of physical access, and the attacker’s ability to contaminate?


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4. Are mitigation strategies identified and implemented at each actionable process step?


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5. Is there a written explanation of how the mitigation strategy sufficiently minimizes or prevents the significant vulnerability?


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Physical Security & Receiving

1. Does management conduct a daily walk-through inspection of the operation?


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2. Is the area around the facility well-lit?


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3. Is the facility locked and secured when closed?


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4. Are exterior doors (other than customer entryways) locked at all times?


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5. Is access to the exterior door and storage area keys restricted to management staff?


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6. Are foods purchased only from reputable vendors?


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7. Are deliveries received only while the staff is present?


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8. Is the delivery person escorted while in the food storage and preparation areas?


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9. Are deliveries inspected for damage, tampering, or counterfeiting before acceptance?


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10. Are delivery items matched against order invoices before acceptance/use?


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11. Once received, are foods immediately moved to a secure food storage area?


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12. Are cleaning crews, contractors, or other non-facility personnel supervised while in food storage and preparation areas?


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Operational Controls (Preparation & Service)

1. Are standard operating procedures in place that outline the steps in each job?


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2. Is each ingredient and its packaging inspected for evidence of tampering before use?


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3. Are employees trained not to use any food with an unusual look or smell?


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4. Are self-service stations (like salad bars and buffets) visible to employees at all times?


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5. Are empty food containers removed and replaced by new ones to replenish food at self-service stations?


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Records & Verification

1. Are food defense records accurate, indelible, and legible?


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2. Are records created concurrently with the performance of the activity documented?


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3. Do records contain the actual values and observations obtained during food defense monitoring?


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4. Do records include the signature or initials of the person performing the activity and the date and time?


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5. Must records be retained at the facility for at least 2 years after they were prepared?


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6. Are food defense monitoring and corrective action records reviewed within appropriate timeframes?


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7. Is it verified that mitigation strategies are properly implemented and are significantly minimizing the vulnerabilities?


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Checklist by GoAudits.com – Please note that this checklist is intended as an example. We do not guarantee compliance with the laws applicable to your territory or industry. You should seek professional advice to determine how this checklist should be adapted to your workplace or jurisdiction.

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