Third-Party Auditors in the Food Protection System: Comparing the Role of Third-Party Auditors to Government Regulatory Agents

Introduction:  Food safety is an important and well-recognized component of public health. To promote the health of its citizens, governments have implemented food protection systems in the form of food safety legislation, which is enforced by regulatory agents who are recognized public health professionals. In comparison, private regulatory systems, such as the Global Food Safety Initiative, use a different regulatory agent, the third-party auditor, to ensure compliance with the private standard. As a result, these auditors are directly involved in the food protection system, but their role in public health systems has not, yet, been investigated.

Purpose:  This study investigates the role of the third-party auditor in the public health system to determine if they can be considered analogous to a recognized public health professional, the government regulatory agent, commonly known as an inspector.

Methods:  A literature review and document analysis was conducted to compare the role of third-party auditors to government inspectors. Areas of comparison include auditor/regulatory agent education and training requirements, enforcement activities, interactions with policy, level of discretion, and place in the food protection system.

Results:  Based on their role characteristics and food protection activities, the third-party auditor has an important, but largely unrecognized, role in the public health system.

Significance:  Given the globalized food supply, as well as the prominence of private regulatory systems, third-party auditors have the potential to dramatically affect public health through their assessment of the food safety management systems of the facilities they visit. Understanding their role is important in ensuring the proper functioning of the food protection system and the general safety of the food supply.