Who can serve as a Qualified Auditor?

A Qualified Auditor is an individual who;

1. Meets the requirements of a Qualified Individual:
2. Has technical expertise obtained through education, training, or experience (or a combination thereof) necessary to perform audits
3. Has some previous experience in auditing to meet the definition, and must have a broader understanding of food safety processes and procedures
4. Can be a third-party auditor, foreign government employee, a fellow company employee, or an employee of the importer
5. Cannot be the foreign supplier or an employee of the foreign supplier, except with respect to sampling and testing of food, and cannot have the existence of financial conflicts of interest that influence the results of verification activities

Sources:

• Federal Register Volume 80, Number 228, Page 74292, Section 7
• Federal Register Volume 80, Number 228, Page 74292, Comment/Response 221
• Federal Register Volume 80, Number 228, Page 74344, Section 18
• Federal Register Volume 80, Number 228, Page 74344, Comment/Response 44-52