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Safe Quality Food Audit

Safety is a Priority for the World's Biggest Retailers. 

That's why major retailers like Whole Foods, Target and Wal-Mart are requiring their suppliers to be SQF certified, which means that they meet a set of requirements for product safety.

If you want to sell your products in these stores or anywhere else in the world, it's important to have an audit done on your business by a third-party auditor who is qualified to assess your processes and procedures.

SQF cert

WHAT IS AN SQF AUDIT?

SQF stands for Safe Quality Food and it is a food safety certification program that is recognized by many retailers and foodservice providers worldwide. An SQF audit is an inspection of a food facility to determine its compliance with the SQF Food Safety Code.

The SQF Food Safety Code is a set of food safety standards that are developed and maintained by the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI).

STEPS TO SQF CERTIFICATION 

STEP-1

LEARN ABOUT THE SQF CODE

View and download a PDF. copy of the SQF codes and supporting documents for free.

Which can be found HERE.

STEP-2

REGISTER YOUR COMPANY IN THE SQF DATABASE

Your annual registration fee will be based on the annual gross sales of your facility. 

SQF DATABASE LINK

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DESIGNATE ONE OF YOUR EMPLOYEES AS THE SQF PRACTITIONER

This individual will serve as your company's internal expert on SQF. 

STEP-4_how_to_become_sqf-_certified-

CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL OF CERTIFICATION

THERE ARE 3 SQF PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR CERTIFICATION

  • SAFE QUALITY FOOD (SQF) FUNDAMENTALS PROGRAM
  • SAFE QUALITY FOOD (SQF) FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM  (HACCP + GFSI)
  • SAFE QUALITY FOOD (SQF) QUALITY PROGRAM

Information about each certification can be found at the bottom of this page

STEP-5_get_a_quote_for_sqf_audit

OBTAIN AUDIT PROPOSALS FROM LICENSED SQF CERTIFICATION BODIES 

Look no further. Contact ASI, a Certified Body, to obtain a quote and details on the SQF certification audit.  

OBTAIN A QUOTE FROM ASI 

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CONDUCT A PREASSESSMENT (OPTIONAL)

Either an SQF auditor or your SQF practitioner can identify the "gaps" between your program and the desired level of SQF certification.  

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CHOOSE ASI FOOD SAFETY AND SCHEDULE AN AUDIT

Schedule an SQF certification with a licensed CB. 

STEP-8_process_of_becoming_sqf_certified

CERTIFICATION BODY CONDUCTS INITIAL CERTIFICATION AUDIT

SQF_certification

ONCE YOU HAVE PASSED YOUR AUDIT YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR SQF CERTIFICATION!

 

SQF PROGRAM COVERS ALL SECTORS OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Obtaining SQF Certification is not only achievable for large suppliers. SQF Certification is possible for every supplier at all levels of the food industry, from farm to fork.

THERE ARE 3 SQF PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR CERTIFICATION

  • SAFE QUALITY FOOD (SQF) FUNDAMENTALS PROGRAM
  • SAFE QUALITY FOOD (SQF) FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM  (HACCP + GFSI)
  • SAFE QUALITY FOOD (SQF) QUALITY PROGRAM

 

(SQF) FUNDAMENTALS PROGRAM:

The goal of the SQFI Fundamentals Program is to help protect your brand from the risk of a recall and satisfy your buyer’s requirements.

The SQFI Fundamentals Program helps to facilitate retailer acceptance of entrepreneur’s like you, providing food safety security and acceptance along the supply chain.

Built as a step-wise approach, The SQF Fundamentals Program is designed to help you integrate robust food safety standards into your existing practices, while creating a pathway to achieving globally accepted GFSI certification.

The codes within the fundamentals program provides a seamless transition to the SQF Food Safety Program, which is bench-marked to the GFSI standards. The SQF Fundamentals Codes were developed using the GFSI Global Markets Program toolkit, which meets retailers and buyers requirements for small and medium food producers. This new program will help to create a win-win scenario where all parties can benefit from safer food and increased brand protection.

 

SQF Fundamentals for Primary Production – Basic[Download Now – Standard]

SQF Fundamentals for Primary Production – Intermediate [Download Now – Standard]

SQF Fundamentals for Manufacturing – Basic [Download Now – Standard]

SQF Fundamentals for Manufacturing – Intermediate [Download Now – Standard]

SQF FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM (HACCP + GFSI):

The Safe Quality Food Program is a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized food safety certification covering all stages of the food supply chain through industry-specific codes ranging from primary production through to food manufacturing, distribution, food packaging and retail.

The revised SQF Code 9 reflects the most up-to-date thinking in food safety management with a focus on prevention and innovation, as well as offering simplicity and flexibility to suit your business needs.

The SQF Food Safety Code is available for:

 

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Primary Plant Production 

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Primary Animal Production 

 

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Aquaculture 

 

SQF-Manufacturing-2020-Edition-9-FINAL

Food Manufacturing 

 

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Pet Food Manufacturing 

 

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Animal Feed Manufacturing 

 

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Animal Product Manufacturing 

 

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Dietary Supplement Manufacturing 

 

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Storage and Distribution 

 

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Manufacture of Food Packaging 

 

SQF QUALITY:

SQFI has created a Quality Program for those sites who desire to go above and beyond food safety. The Quality Program is designed to monitor and control food quality related threats. This program is most suited for sites who have already implemented a successful, robust SQF Food Safety Plan. Additionally, the SQF Quality Program can be implemented in tandem with the SQF Food Safety Program.

The SQF Quality Code uses the Codex HACCP method to identify and control quality threats, and addresses process controls to monitor product quality, identify  deviations from control parameters and define corrections necessary to keep processes under control.

 

SQF Quality Code [Download Now – Standard]