Eurobake planned 18 months to become audit-ready. It took under five.
Since its inception in 1999, Eurobake Bakery has established its reputation in the confectionery market, supplying pastries and desserts to various grocers, specialty stores, and ethnic markets across ten Western states, with a presence that continues to expand.
The new owner of Eurobake, Josh Svenhard, wanted to pursue new sales opportunities but doing so required upgrading the food safety plan to current FDA standards under FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) and most customers required a 3rd party audit with a GMP verification at minimum or the upgraded (always preferred) GFSI and/or Costco addendum.
After countless presentations from assorted software companies, Eurobake selected FoodReady to provide its cloud-based Food Safety Management and Quality Assurance platform and chose to work toward GFSI/Costco audit readiness. Eurobake initially expected it would take 18 months after hiring a full-time QA manager to pass a third-party audit.
Audit-ready faster than anyone expected.
<5 mo
To first third-party (Costco) audit
~4 wk
Passed a surprise FDA inspection
8 mo
GFSI audit passed
2×
Revenue growth per year
3 months GMP audit passed
1st attempt third-party audit passed
Costco supplier audit cleared
Daily continuous batch records
New ownership, new ambitions, and a food safety program that wasn't ready.
When Josh Svenhard acquired Eurobake, he wanted to pursue new sales opportunities. But doing so meant upgrading the food safety plan to current FDA standards under FSMA, and most prospective customers required a third-party audit, with a GMP verification at minimum and the preferred GFSI and/or Costco addendum on top.
The starting point was thin. Eurobake had a limited food safety program with minimal documentation and no full-time QA manager, and the plant manager had recently left due to a family emergency. Preventive Control / HACCP plans, SOPs, and recall plans all needed to be rewritten and brought up to standard.
After sitting through countless presentations from software vendors, Eurobake selected FoodReady for its cloud-based food safety and quality platform, then set the ambitious target of GFSI / Costco audit readiness, expecting it would take 18 months after hiring a full-time QA manager.
What buyers required
- FSMA-current food safety plan-Upgraded to current FDA standards
- Third-party audit — GMP minimum-The baseline most customers demanded
- GFSI and/or Costco addendum-The preferred, higher bar
- Full traceability & batch records-Ingredient-to-batch lot tracking
How Eurobake got audit-ready, step by step.
Eurobake worked with FoodReady software and consultants to build, execute, and prove out its food safety program.
Gap Assessment
When Josh Svenhard acquired Eurobake, it had a limited food safety program with minimal documentation and did not have a full-time QA manager. Eurobake’s Plant manager had left recently due to a family emergency. Everything from Preventive Control/HACCP food safety plans, SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), and Recall Plans needed to be re-written and updated.
Development of Food Safety Program
Preventive Control/HACCP food safety plans, SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), and Recall Plans were developed inside the FoodReady software with the help of FoodReady team members and then reviewed with the client.
Execution
FoodReady software was implemented which included training all of the bakery employees on filling out daily batch record monitoring logs and checklists along with wireless temperature readings. A new inventory management system was developed and implemented. Traceability was created inside Eurobake including the receiving of all ingredients and suppliers and tracking of which lots were used in which batches.
Audit Preparation
FoodReady co-founder Dave Seddon is a longtime SQF auditor and has worked in the food industry for over 25 years. He helped Luke Duffy, FoodReady’s Director of Quality, in performing an internal audit of Eurobake’s facility in preparation for the 3rd party Costo audit. Any gaps identified by FoodReady were then addressed prior to the audit. FoodReady arranged for the 3rd party Costco audit.
Surprise FDA Inspection
A surprise FDA inspection occurred at Eurobake within a couple of weeks of starting the relationship with FoodReady resulting in a massive success story. Eurobake had a history of conformance issues that needed to be closed out before the audit could begin. Thanks to newly implemented systems and controls from Food Ready, Eurobake was able to move forward and close previous findings. During the inspection, no critical deficiencies and only minor corrections were discovered.
Audit Support
Eurobake passed their 3rd party audit on their first attempt with only a few non-conformances which FoodReady helped Eurobake correct.
New Clients & Growth
Eurobake has leveraged access to new clients through successful audits to expand its bakery business and grow its revenues by 2 X per year.
What FoodReady delivered
Traceability
SSOPs
Pre-requisite programs (PRPs)
Batch management
Wireless temperature monitoring
Inventory management
Recall plans
Daily sanitation & open
Open/Close checklists
HACCP Plans
Proof that matters, to auditors and to buyers.
Eurobake passed its first third-party audit meeting Costco's requirements within five months of engaging FoodReady, and excelled in a surprise FDA audit after just a few weeks on the software.
FoodReady provided HACCP plans, SSOPs, pre-requisite programs, and daily checklists for items like sanitation and opening and closing procedures, alongside batch management and traceability. Eurobake now produces batch records on a daily, continuous basis.
Since implementing FoodReady's software and consulting, Eurobake has expanded its customer list dramatically and grown revenue 2× per year, turning food safety from a barrier into a growth engine.
"What attracted Eurobake to FoodReady software is that FoodReady started with food safety and food traceability as its core. And because of this construct, it can easily be bolted on to accounting or manufacturing modules without corrupting or overcomplicating the data gathering process."
Built for food safety first, so everything else connects.
Food safety at the core
FoodReady was built on food safety and traceability from the start, so modules for accounting, inventory, or manufacturing bolt on without corrupting or overcomplicating the data-gathering process.
One automated flow chart
The automated flow chart links straight to the SOPs and checklists behind every step, so there is no more hunting through binders of documents to find the right procedure. Everything lives in the app.
Run more in one place
From receiving to logistics to warehousing, the Enterprise program brings food safety and operations onto a single platform, so a growing business can run more of itself through FoodReady.
Ready to take the next step with us?
In 15–30 minutes we'll map FoodReady to your process, plug in your real HACCP plan, and show you the auditor's view before the call ends.
Speak with our Expert Consultants
15–30 minutes. We map FoodReady to your process, plug in your real HACCP plan, and show you the auditor view before the call ends.