Run Grocery Seafood Country of Origin Compliance Audit — Free

Audit Setup and Inspector Information

Audit date and time

Record the date and time the audit begins.

Inspector name and title

Full name and job title of the person conducting this audit.

Store number or location identifier

Enter the store number, name, or address for traceability.

Audit scope

Select all seafood display areas included in this audit.

Supplier Documentation and Chain of Custody

Supplier invoices or bills of lading on file for all seafood SKUs received in the past 30 days critical (required)

Records must identify country of origin and harvest method (wild-caught or farm-raised) for each species. USDA COOL 7 U.S.C. § 1638b(c).

Yes No N/A

Supplier affidavits or certificates of origin available for all imported seafood species critical (required)

Imported seafood must have documentation traceable to the country of harvest or aquaculture origin. Verify at least one affidavit per imported species on hand.

Yes No N/A

Documentation retention period meets minimum 2-year requirement

USDA COOL requires covered commodity records to be retained for at least 2 years (7 CFR 60.400). Spot-check oldest records on file.

Yes No N/A

Number of seafood SKUs with complete supplier documentation vs. total SKUs audited

Record as a ratio (e.g., 18/20). Flag any SKUs lacking documentation for corrective action.

Point-of-Sale Label Accuracy — Country of Origin

All full-service case items display a country-of-origin placard or label visible to the consumer critical (required)

Each species or lot in the full-service case must have a placard stating country of origin. Verify every tray or bin.

Yes No N/A

Photo evidence (optional)

All self-service and pre-packaged seafood items carry a country-of-origin statement on the package label critical (required)

Pre-packaged covered seafood must include country of origin on the principal display panel or information panel. Check a minimum of 10 SKUs or all SKUs if fewer than 10.

Yes No N/A

Photo evidence (optional)

Country-of-origin statements match the supplier documentation on file critical (required)

Cross-reference at least 5 displayed items against invoices or certificates of origin. A mismatch is a critical non-conformance.

Yes No N/A

Number of items with accurate COOL labels vs. total items spot-checked

Record as a ratio (e.g., 22/25). List any non-conforming items in the comments.

Frozen seafood packages display country of origin on outer packaging

Frozen covered seafood must be labeled at the retail level. Verify a minimum of 5 frozen SKUs.

Yes No N/A

Wild-Caught vs. Farm-Raised Disclosure

All displayed seafood items carry a clear wild-caught or farm-raised disclosure critical (required)

Disclosure must appear on the label or placard adjacent to the country-of-origin statement. Verify every item in the full-service and self-service cases.

Yes No N/A

Photo evidence (optional)

Wild-caught disclosures are supported by supplier documentation identifying the harvest method critical (required)

For items labeled wild-caught, confirm that the corresponding invoice or affidavit specifies wild harvest. Farm-raised items should reference aquaculture origin.

Yes No N/A

No items are labeled with both wild-caught and farm-raised without a permissible mixed-lot justification

Mixed-lot labeling is only permissible when the retailer cannot segregate the lots and must disclose both methods. Verify any mixed-lot labels have written justification on file.

Yes No N/A

Harvest method disclosure font size is legible and not obscured by price tags or packaging

Disclosure must be clearly visible to the consumer at the point of sale. Inspect for stickers, overlapping labels, or faded print that obscures the disclosure.

Yes No N/A

Display Signage and Consumer Accessibility

Placards and shelf tags are positioned at or directly adjacent to the product they describe

A placard placed more than one product-width away from the item it describes creates ambiguity and is a labeling deficiency.

Yes No N/A

Placard text is printed or typed — handwritten placards are legible and not faded

Handwritten placards are permissible but must be clearly legible. Faded, smeared, or illegible placards must be replaced immediately.

Yes No N/A

Species common name is displayed alongside country-of-origin and harvest method information

FDA requires seafood sold at retail to display the market name (common name) of the species (FDA Food Code 2022 § 3-602.11). Verify common name is present on all labels.

Yes No N/A

No COOL placards are missing, blank, or displaying a prior product's information

Inspect for placards left in place after a product rotation that now describe a different item. This is a labeling non-conformance.

Yes No N/A

Corrective Actions and Audit Close-Out

Total number of critical non-conformances identified during this audit

Enter the count of items marked as critical failures. Zero is the target.

Note (optional)

All critical non-conformances have a corrective action assigned with a responsible party and due date critical (required)

For each critical deficiency, document: (1) description of the non-conformance, (2) corrective action required, (3) responsible employee, (4) target completion date.

Yes No N/A

Seafood department manager notified of audit findings

Confirm verbal or written notification was provided to the department manager or designee before the auditor leaves the store.

Yes No N/A

Additional observations or notes

Record any observations not captured in the sections above, including positive findings or systemic issues requiring escalation.

Inspector signature

Inspector signature confirms that all findings are accurate and complete to the best of their knowledge.

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Run: Grocery Seafood Country of Origin Compliance Audit

Audit Setup and Inspector Information

Supplier Documentation and Chain of Custody

Point-of-Sale Label Accuracy — Country of Origin

Wild-Caught vs. Farm-Raised Disclosure

Display Signage and Consumer Accessibility

Corrective Actions and Audit Close-Out

Get your results