Grocery Section Rotation and Dating Audit

Freshness rotation audit for grocery and consumables sections covering FIFO compliance, product dating accuracy, removal of out-of-code product, and shrink documentation. Aligned with FDA Food Code 2022 and retailer best practices.

Audit Setup and Inspector Information

• Audit date and time
  Record the date and time the audit begins.
• Inspector name and role
  Enter the full name and job title of the person conducting this audit.
• Department or section being audited
  Select the primary grocery section covered by this audit.
• Last audit date for this section
  Enter the date of the most recent prior audit for reference.

FIFO Rotation Compliance

• Shelf facings are rotated FIFO — older product is at the front, newer product behind
  Physically check a minimum of 10 shelf facings across the section. Confirm oldest code dates are at the front of each facing.
• Back-stock and overstock are organized with oldest product accessible for rotation first
  Inspect back-stock shelves, pallets, or storage areas. Older-dated cases must be positioned for first pull.
• End-cap and promotional displays follow FIFO rotation
  Check all active end-caps and clip strips in the section. Promotional placement does not exempt product from FIFO requirements.
• Number of FIFO violations observed (facings out of rotation order)
  Count and record the total number of individual facings found out of FIFO order during this audit.

Product Dating Accuracy

• All date codes (sell-by, best-by, use-by) on shelf product are legible and unobstructed
  Inspect a representative sample of product. Date codes must not be smudged, covered by labels, or otherwise unreadable.
• Date codes on shelf product match the date codes on corresponding back-stock cases
  Cross-check shelf product dates against case dates for at least 5 SKUs. Discrepancies may indicate mislabeling or rotation errors.
• Prepared or repackaged items (e.g., bulk, store-cut) display store-applied date labels per FDA Food Code 2022 §3-602.11
  If applicable to this section, verify all store-packaged consumables carry a legible store-applied label with pack date and sell-by date.

Out-of-Code and Expired Product Removal

• No out-of-code or expired product is present on the sales floor
  Conduct a date sweep of the section. Any product at or past its sell-by / use-by date must be pulled immediately. This is a critical food safety item.
• Number of out-of-code units found and pulled during this audit
  Record the total count of expired or out-of-code units removed from the sales floor or back stock during this inspection.
• Out-of-code product is segregated and clearly marked 'Do Not Sell' pending disposition
  Verify that any pulled product is physically separated from sellable inventory and labeled to prevent accidental return to shelf.
• Short-dated product (within 3 days of code date) is identified and actioned (markdown, move-to-front, or pull schedule set)
  Confirm that product approaching code date has been flagged and an action plan is in place per store markdown or pull SOP.

Shrink Documentation and Disposition

• All out-of-code and damaged product removed today has been entered into the shrink/waste log
  Review the department shrink log or POS shrink entry. Every pulled unit must be accounted for to maintain accurate inventory and loss records.
• Shrink log entries include SKU/UPC, quantity, reason code, and associate ID
  Spot-check at least 5 recent shrink entries for completeness. Incomplete entries are a non-conformance under inventory control policy.
• Disposition of pulled product is documented (donated, discarded, returned to vendor)
  Confirm that the final disposition of all pulled product is recorded. Donation must comply with applicable local food bank and liability policies.

Overall Section Condition and Sign-Off

• Overall section rotation and dating compliance rating
  Rate the overall compliance level of this section based on findings above.
• Corrective actions identified during this audit
  List all corrective actions required, the responsible associate, and the target completion date/time.
• Inspector signature
  Inspector signature confirms findings are accurate and corrective actions have been communicated to department management.