Sedex membership & SAQ support
Help setting up your Sedex site profile, linking customers and completing the Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) accurately, since auditors compare it with what they find.
SMETA audit preparation · Miami, FL
SMETA audit preparation that closes gaps before the auditor finds them
We review labor, health and safety, environment and business ethics practices against SMETA 7.0, fix the records and the floor, and support your team through the audit and corrective actions.
What is a SMETA audit? SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) is Sedex's social audit methodology. An approved audit company checks labor standards and health and safety (2-Pillar), and optionally environment and business ethics (4-Pillar), then uploads the report to Sedex for your customers to see. It is an audit, not a certification: there is no pass certificate.
Juan S. VargasSQF Food Safety Auditor · Exemplar Global
- Certified SQF auditorExemplar Global · 2024
- On-site, hands-onMiami-based · across the U.S.
- English & SpanishBilingual training
- Free 30-min gap callReply within one business day
Who it's for
Who needs SMETA audit preparation
SMETA requests usually arrive from a customer: a retailer, a brand or a food service distributor that uses Sedex to monitor ethical trade in its supply chain. The request often comes with a deadline and a pillar choice already made.
Food & beverage manufacturers
Bottlers, bakeries, snack and sauce plants supplying national retailers or international brands that require a SMETA report on Sedex.
Packhouses & distribution
Produce packers, cold storage and warehouses with seasonal or agency labor, shift work and forklift traffic.
Latin American suppliers
Exporters selling to U.S. and European buyers who need their first SMETA audit organized with a clear action plan.
The problem
Why SMETA audits produce long non-compliance lists
Most sites facing their first SMETA audit treat workers fairly. The non-compliances come from what they cannot prove. Auditors cross-check time records, payroll, contracts and worker interviews, and any mismatch becomes a finding. Health and safety gaps are the other big source, because they are visible on a single walk.
- Working hours: overtime beyond legal or code limits, missing rest days, or time records that don't match payroll
- Wages and records: pay slips that don't show how pay was calculated, overtime premiums hard to verify, agency workers' records not available
- Health and safety: missing risk assessments, PPE not provided or not used, no documented training, chemical storage issues
- Fire safety: blocked exits or aisles, missing emergency lighting or signage, no evacuation drill records, extinguisher inspections out of date
- Management systems: no written policies, no grievance channel workers know about, no one responsible for social compliance
In a SMETA audit, a policy nobody knows about counts for little. Auditors ask the workers.
What's included
What our SMETA preparation service includes
Pre-audit gap assessment
An on-site review against the SMETA pillars your customer requested: document checks, a floor walk and confidential worker conversations.
Records & policy set
Working hours, wages, contracts, recruitment, grievance, anti-discrimination and business ethics policies, plus the records that prove they run.
Health, safety & fire readiness
Risk assessments, PPE programs, chemical handling, emergency plans, evacuation drills and inspection logs for fire equipment.
Management Systems Assessment prep
SMETA 7.0 includes a Management Systems Assessment. We help you show ownership, monitoring and continuous improvement, not just paperwork.
Corrective action support
After the audit, root cause analysis and evidence packs for each non-compliance, ready for desktop or on-site follow-up.
The methodology
SMETA 7.0 explained: 2-Pillar vs 4-Pillar
Sedex launched SMETA 7.0 on September 10, 2024. The labor standards section is based on the ETI Base Code and local law, and version 7.0 includes a Management Systems Assessment. Your customer usually tells you which scope to audit.
The audit itself combines three sources of evidence: a site tour, a review of documents and records, and interviews with workers and management. Auditors compare what each source says. If the policy says overtime is voluntary, the time records show long weeks and workers say they can't refuse, that becomes a finding. Preparation means making those three sources tell the same true story.
| SMETA 2-Pillar | SMETA 4-Pillar | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour standards | Included | Included |
| Health & safety | Included | Included |
| Environment | Not included | Included |
| Business ethics | Not included | Included |
| Management Systems Assessment | Part of SMETA 7.0 | Part of SMETA 7.0 |
| When it's requested | A baseline social audit for many food buyers | Buyers with broader sustainability and ethics programs |
| Preparation effort | Lower: labor and safety records | Higher: adds environmental data and ethics policies |
SMETA is not a certification. There is no pass, fail or certificate. The audit company uploads a report with findings to Sedex, and your customers decide what they accept and how quickly non-compliances must be closed. Anyone offering a "SMETA certificate" is describing it wrongly.
SMETA vs other audits your plant may already have
| Audit | Focus | Result |
|---|---|---|
| SMETA | Labor, health & safety, environment, business ethics | Report shared on Sedex |
| SQF / BRCGS | Food safety and quality management | Certificate from a certification body |
| Customer GMP audit | Hygiene, pest control, facility condition | Customer score or approval |
How we work
From SAQ to closed corrective actions
Gap analysis
We review the SAQ, policies, contracts, time and payroll records, walk the site for health, safety and fire issues, and talk with workers in English and Spanish.
You receive: gap report graded by risk and an action plan by owner.
System build & training
We close gaps with you: policies, records, risk assessments, emergency drills and supervisor and worker training on rights, grievance channels and safety.
You receive: updated policy set, record templates, training records.
Mock audit & corrective action support
A mock SMETA-style audit before the real one, then help preparing root cause analysis and evidence for any non-compliances raised.
You receive: mock audit report, corrective action plan, evidence packs.
After the audit
How the corrective action process works
At the closing meeting, the auditor reviews each non-compliance with management, and the site agrees corrective actions and time frames in the Corrective Action Plan Report. Closure is then verified, either through evidence submitted for a desktop review or through a follow-up visit, depending on the finding.
Understand the finding
Read the exact clause and evidence the auditor cited, so the fix targets the real issue.
Find the root cause
A missing overtime record is often a scheduling or timekeeping system problem, not a one-time error.
Fix and prevent
Correct the immediate issue, then change the procedure, training or system that allowed it.
Collect evidence
Dated photos, updated records, signed training logs and revised policies that show the change is working.
Submit for verification
Upload evidence for the audit company's review or prepare for the follow-up visit.
South Florida
SMETA readiness for Miami-Dade and Broward sites
South Florida food plants and distribution centers employ multilingual workforces, often with staffing agencies and seasonal peaks. That mix is exactly where SMETA auditors focus: agency worker records, overtime during peak season, and whether safety training reached everyone in a language they understand. We work on-site in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, interview in English and Spanish, and support Latin American suppliers by project.
Many sites run SMETA alongside food safety certification. If your buyer also requires a GFSI scheme, see SQF consulting or BRCGS and GFSI consulting, and consider an independent food safety gap assessment in the same visit.
Results
SMETA preparation in practice
CASE 01 · BEVERAGE BOTTLER
120 workers · Miami-Dade, FL
- Standard
- SMETA 7.0 · 4-Pillar
- At gap analysis
- 22 non-compliances
- At certification audit
- 18 closed before follow-up
- Outcome
- Retailer onboarding approved
12 weeks
Illustrative engagement · real client data pending authorization
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much does a SMETA audit cost?
The audit fee is charged by the Sedex-approved audit company and depends on site size, worker count and whether you choose 2 or 4 pillars. Sedex membership is a separate fee. Preparation consulting is optional; we quote a fixed scope after a 30-minute gap call.
Can a consultant perform our official SMETA audit?
No. Official SMETA audits are carried out by audit companies approved to upload reports to Sedex. A consultant prepares your site, runs a mock audit and supports corrective actions, but cannot audit the same site independently.
Do we need 2-Pillar or 4-Pillar SMETA?
Ask your customer. Many food buyers accept 2-Pillar (labour standards and health and safety). Others require 4-Pillar, which adds environment and business ethics. Preparing for 4-Pillar takes more work, so confirm the scope before booking.
Is SMETA a certification?
No. SMETA is an audit methodology. The result is a report shared on Sedex, not a certificate. Your customers review the findings and your corrective actions and decide whether you meet their requirements.
What are the most common SMETA non-compliances?
Excessive working hours, wage and overtime records that are hard to verify, missing health and safety risk assessments, and fire safety issues such as blocked exits or missing drill records. Weak management systems, like no grievance channel, are also common.
Free gap call
Have an audit on the calendar?
In 30 minutes we review your standard, your date and your most likely gaps, and tell you honestly whether you need us.
- +1 786 209 7451
- Mon–Fri · 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET
- jusevalu02@gmail.com
- 5.0 on Google
Juan S. VargasSQF Food Safety Auditor · PCQI
Request a gap call or a quote
Takes under a minute. Juan reviews every request personally.