Global Food Safety Initiative Releases Its New Auditor Knowledge Exam

New auditors must pass the exam before auditing for GFSI-recognized certification programs

Published: Thursday, July 18, 2019 - 12:00

The new auditor knowledge exam from the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is now available to be taken. This tool offers a consistent method to assess auditor knowledge across a range of relevant skills for all GFSI-recognized programs, ensuring a baseline of expertise within this important community.

 The GFSI Knowledge Exam draws from the content of the Benchmarking Requirements Version 7.2. The scope of the exam will be familiar to auditors acquainted with the content of GFSI's recognized certification programs. Questions cover both sector-specific technical skills, such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements, as well as standard auditing skills such as sampling and evidence gathering.

The number of GFSI-recognized certification program owners (CPOs) and the number of certificates that these organizations deliver each year continue to accelerate; in 2018 alone, two new CPOs were recognized, and the number of certificates increased by 5 percent worldwide. In order to ensure consistency of approach despite this growth, the Benchmarking Requirements now require auditors to take and pass the GFSI Knowledge Exam, to complement the already existing clear GFSI requirements for education and experience. Auditors who fulfill all these conditions will be well-equipped to perform their role at the front line of food safety.

The GFSI Knowledge Exam requirement went into effect on July 1, 2019. After this date, all newly-recruited auditors must pass the Knowledge Exam before they can begin auditing for GFSI-recognized certification programs. All current auditors have until the end of 2021 to take the test. Despite this two-year grace period, the process of assessing all new and current auditors will be no small task.

To mitigate the scale of this undertaking, the Benchmarking Requirements include a mutual recognition of exam results between CPOs. In other words, an auditor that has taken the exam with one CPO cannot have his or her results rejected by a different CPO; each auditor will therefore only need to pass the exam once. This streamlined process is in keeping with GFSI’s dedication to efficiency and enhancing global food safety through harmonization.

To apply to take the GFSI Knowledge Exam, please schedule an appointment with your approved CPO. A list of CPOs who have been approved to provide the tests can be found here. The exam is available to take in several languages, including:
• English
• Simplified Chinese
• Dutch
• French
• German
• Greek
• Italian
• Japanese
• Polish
• Portuguese (Brazil)
• Russian
• Spanish (EU)
• Turkish 

Related resources:

GFSI Benchmarking & Recognition

GFSI Benchmarking Requirements

More from the GFSI Library

About The Author

Global Food Safety Initiative GFSI

Food industry leaders created the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) in 2000 to find collaborative solutions to collective concerns, notably to reduce food safety risks, audit duplication, and costs while building trust throughout the supply chain. The GFSI community works on a volunteer basis and is composed of the world's leading food safety experts from retail, manufacturing, and food service companies, as well as international organizations, governments, academia, and service providers to the global food industry. GFSI is powered by The Consumer Goods Forum, a global industry network working to support better lives through better business.