Record Completion & Maintenance Procedure
Part of Food Industry Hub’s FSQMS Policies and Procedures Suite.
The Record Completion & Maintenance Procedure forms part of the Food Industry Hub FSQMS Policies and Procedures Suite.
It defines how records generated through the Food Safety & Quality Management System (FSQMS) are designed, completed, reviewed and authenticated, stored, protected, retrieved and retained. Accurate and genuine records provide evidence that operational controls, verification activities, food safety measures and supporting processes have been implemented.
Build reliable records from the point of creation
The procedure requires FSQMS records to capture the information needed to demonstrate effective control. Record formats must be clearly structured, provide adequate space for required entries and include fields such as date, time, activity performed, results, initials or signature, and verification where required.
Paper-based, digital and system-generated formats are all provided for, with Technical or Quality Management responsible for approving record formats before use. This gives record control a defined starting point before information is entered or relied upon.
Complete records when the activity occurs
Personnel are required to complete records at the time the activity is performed, with entries that are permanent, legible and accurate. Paper records are completed in ink, required fields are not left blank, initials or signatures are entered where designated, and measurements, observations, monitoring checks and results are recorded exactly as observed.
Where an entry needs correcting, the original entry remains visible: it is crossed out with a single line, the correct entry is written nearby, and the correction is initialled and dated. The procedure therefore keeps record completion focused on the genuine results of operational activity rather than reconstructed information.
Protect electronic records and data integrity
Where electronic records are used, access is restricted to authorised personnel and the system must prevent unauthorised editing or deletion. Backups are required to protect against data loss, while secure login credentials and user permissions support data integrity.
The same control intent continues into storage: electronic systems must include backups, restricted access and integrity controls so records remain available and protected throughout their required retention period.
Review and authenticate records that require sign-off
Records requiring review, verification or sign-off are checked by designated personnel within the defined timeframe. The review covers completeness, accuracy and adherence to expected limits, with anomalies, non-conformances or missing information investigated and corrected.
Where verification is required, the verifier initials, signs or electronically authenticates the record. This makes the review and verification requirement visible within the completed evidence rather than leaving it as an undocumented activity.
Allocate responsibility across the record system
Senior management is responsible for providing adequate resources for reliable record systems and supporting a culture of accurate and timely completion. Technical or Quality Management defines FSQMS record-keeping requirements, ensures formats capture relevant operational and verification information, provides training, verifies record completeness, accuracy and integrity, and oversees storage, retrieval, protection and retention controls.
Record owners ensure records for their process areas are created and completed correctly, review them for completeness, escalate concerns and remove obsolete or superseded formats from use. Employees are responsible for accurate, truthful and timely entries, legible and permanent handwriting, correct handling of errors, and reporting lost, illegible or damaged records.
Store, retrieve and retain records under defined controls
The procedure requires records to be protected from damage, loss or deterioration, readily retrievable for audits, inspections or internal review, and subject to secure access controls where information is confidential or sensitive.
Retention periods follow the Documented Information & Records Management Policy. Where product shelf life affects retention, records are kept for at least the duration of the product shelf life plus any additional period defined by regulatory, customer or certification requirements, or for an additional 12 months as a minimum. Records are not destroyed before the defined retention period has elapsed.
Verify record-keeping and maintain competence
Technical or Quality Management verifies record-keeping through internal audits, operational verification checks, routine review of monitoring records and review during incident or non-conformance investigations.
Personnel who complete, review or maintain records are trained in the requirements of the procedure, correct and legible completion, accuracy, timeliness and authentication, correction of errors, storage, retrieval and retention, and their role in maintaining FSQMS record integrity. Training needs are reassessed periodically.
A common record-control framework across the FSQMS
The procedure applies across FSQMS records including HACCP and prerequisite programme records, CCP and operational monitoring records, goods-in, traceability and supplier monitoring records, internal audit and verification records, training records, calibration and maintenance records, and complaint, non-conformance, incident and corrective action records.
It is deliberately separate from document control, which is governed through the Document Control Procedure, while its record-completion and maintenance principles remain consistent with the Documented Information & Records Management Policy. This gives the wider FSQMS a common set of controls for creating and preserving reliable completed records while document control remains governed separately.