SQF Certification for Bakery & Snack Food Manufacturers

The SQF Food Safety Code: Food Manufacturing, under Food Sector Category (FSC) 13, Bakery and Snack Food Processing, with Module 11 Good Manufacturing Practices. FSC 13 applies to the processing, packaging and on-site storage of extruded snack foods and cake mix formulations and extends to all bakery operations; SQFI's examples include meat pies, custard pies, bread, cookies, cakes, mixes and all varieties of snack food. Edition 10 adds waffles, pancakes, crackers and all forms of granola, and describes bakery operations of products stored and sold at ambient temperature.

SQFI lists pizza and sandwiches under FSC 20, Recipe Meals Manufacturing. Under Edition 9, peanut butter is listed under FSC 18, Preserved Foods Manufacturing; Edition 10 lists nut butter under both FSC 14 and FSC 18. All of these use the Food Manufacturing code, and your certification body confirms the category when it sets your audit scope.

No. Most bakeries and snack plants that must register with FDA also need a written food safety plan under 21 CFR Part 117, prepared or overseen by a preventive controls qualified individual (PCQI); very small businesses (qualified facilities) follow modified requirements instead. SQF certification doesn't replace those rules: the SQF code requires you to comply with the food law that applies to your products.

Yes, if your facility must have a food safety plan under FDA's Preventive Controls for Human Food rule, which covers most registered facilities except qualified facilities (very small businesses). The PCQI prepares or oversees your FDA food safety plan, while the SQF Practitioner maintains your SQF system and must be HACCP-trained and employed by the site. One person can hold both roles if they meet both sets of requirements.

Clause 2.8.1 Allergen Management is mandatory. It requires a risk analysis of allergen-containing raw materials, ingredients and processing aids (including food-grade lubricants), segregation, changeover cleaning that removes allergens from product contact surfaces (including aerosols as appropriate), validation and verification of that cleaning, label accuracy controls, and allergen rework that is clearly identified and traceable.

Yes. The FASTER Act of 2021 made sesame the 9th major food allergen, effective January 1, 2023. FDA noted in 2023 that some manufacturers were intentionally adding sesame to products and labeling it instead of preventing cross-contact, a result FDA said it does not support.

No, according to FDA's guidance. FDA's January 2025 food allergen guidance (Edition 5) removed coconut from its list of tree nuts that are major food allergens, though coconut still has to be listed in the ingredient statement. The same guidance treats milk from goats, sheep and other ruminants and eggs from ducks, geese, quail and other fowl as major food allergens.

No. FDA says advisory statements such as "may contain" aren't required by law, aren't a substitute for good manufacturing practices or food allergen preventive controls, and must be truthful and not misleading. An SQF audit still checks segregation, changeover cleaning and label controls under 2.8.1.

Not outright. Clause 11.7.4 requires documented methods for the screens, sieves, filters or other technologies you use to remove or detect foreign matter. Where you use detection systems, you must set detection limits based on a risk assessment, routinely monitor, validate and check the equipment, and keep records of checks and rejected product.

Only to foods on FDA's Food Traceability List (FTL), under section 204 of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Listed foods a bakery may use include tree nut and peanut butters (soy and seed butters aren't listed), shell eggs (including products made with raw, unpasteurized eggs), fresh soft cheeses such as cream cheese and ricotta, and fresh-cut fruit. A food made with a listed food is covered only if that food stays in the same form, and food you put through a kill step is exempt if you keep the required records. FDA won't enforce the rule before July 20, 2028. SQF certification still requires traceability and recall testing under clause 2.6.

No. SQF certification is voluntary. The legal requirements are FDA's food safety and labeling rules, plus state and local rules for retail bakeries. A retailer, foodservice company or brand owner may still ask its bakery and snack suppliers for GFSI-recognized certification such as SQF.

Several, listed here A to Z. For bakery and snack food processing (GFSI scope CIV, processing of ambient-stable products), GFSI recognizes BRCGS Food Safety, FSSC 22000, IFS Food and SQF, among others. Each customer decides which programs it accepts, and SQF is more common in the U.S. BRCGS Food Safety, FSSC 22000 (Version 6) and IFS Food certificates are issued by Kiwa group certification bodies, not by Kiwa ASI; ask us, and we'll check auditor coverage for your products before quoting. Each program's own scope rules decide whether your products are covered.

Yes, for the SQF Food Safety Code: Food Manufacturing, Edition 9. ASI Food Safety, LLC (Kiwa ASI) is licensed by SQFI and accredited by ANAB (accreditation ID 1222) to ISO/IEC 17065 for that code. SQFI places FSC 13 under that code, and ANAB's listing names codes, not food sector categories. SQF rules require an auditor registered with SQFI for your food sector category, or a registered auditor assisted by an SQFI-approved technical expert. Before we quote, we check whether we can meet that rule for your categories, and we'll tell you if we can't.

Every 12 months. Recertification audits fall within 30 days either side of the anniversary of the last day of your initial certification audit. Sites rated C – Complies (70–85) under Edition 9 also get a surveillance audit at six months, and at least one recertification audit every three years is unannounced and fully on-site.

Edition 9, for now. SQF audits use Edition 9 until Edition 10 audits begin, which SQFI says will be no earlier than January 2, 2027, depending on GFSI benchmarking. GFSI opened its public consultation on Edition 10 on September 29, 2026. A single audit won't mix requirements from both editions, and a surveillance audit that follows an Edition 9 audit stays on Edition 9, even if it falls after Edition 10 audits begin. Kiwa ASI's ANAB accreditation currently covers specific SQF Edition 9 codes, so ask which edition your first audit will use, and about our Edition 10 status, when you request a quote.

Yes, if we can meet SQF's auditor registration rule for your food sector categories, which we check before we quote. Under Edition 9, you can change to another SQFI-licensed certification body after one certification cycle (the annual period between certification audits), once all non-conformances are closed, as long as the certificate isn't suspended or under threat of suspension or withdrawal. If a surveillance audit is due, change after it. Your certification number, recertification date and unannounced audit schedule carry over, and your current certificate stays valid until it expires. Once Edition 10 applies (no earlier than January 2, 2027), you can switch after your certificate is issued and before your next audit window opens. Kiwa ASI's ANAB accreditation currently covers specific SQF Edition 9 codes, so ask us about Edition 10 status before you plan an Edition 10 transfer. Send your current certificate and your last recertification and surveillance audit reports.

Plan on at least four to five months from the day your system starts producing records, and longer if you're building it from scratch. SQFI recommends at least 90 days of records before the certification audit, the audit takes at least two days, non-conformances must be closed within 30 days, and SQF gives the certification body up to 45 days after the audit to make its certification decision. The biggest variables are whether a HACCP plan and environmental monitoring program already exist.

First-year cost can range from about $6,000 for a small, well-prepared site to $25,000 or more for a larger plant that needs outside help and upgrades. These are estimates only; your audit fee depends on the audit duration your certification body calculates. The first-year total includes the audit fee (roughly $4,500–$9,000+), SQFI registration ($650 for the Food Manufacturing code, capped at $800 for two or more codes), training, any outside help and any facility upgrades.

70 out of 100 under Edition 9, with no non-conformances left outstanding. Every audit starts at 100 points; each minor non-conformance deducts 1 point, each major 5 and each critical 50. A score of 70–85 (C – Complies) adds a six-month surveillance audit, and a score below 70 or any critical non-conformance fails an initial audit.

No. Kiwa ASI audits and issues SQF certificates; it doesn't provide laboratory testing. SQF requires external testing to be done by laboratories accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 or an equivalent standard (2.4.4.2). The auditor reviews your results, such as allergen swab results, water tests and shelf-life studies, as part of the audit.