SQF Certification for Nuts, Seeds & Dried Fruit

For shelling and packing, the SQF Food Safety Code: Primary Plant Production. SQF puts the cleaning, shelling, packing, sorting, grading and on-site storage of whole, unprocessed nuts in FSC 4: Fresh Produce, Grain, and Nut Packhouse Operations (Module 10), and growing and harvesting nuts in FSC 3: Growing and Production of Fresh Produce and Nuts (Module 7). No category names hulling, and FSC 14 under the Food Manufacturing code names the drying of nuts, so your certification body confirms the code and category for a huller or huller-dryer. SQFI lists an annual registration fee of $250 for Primary Plant Production ($650 for Food Manufacturing); a site holding two or more codes pays $800 in total (rates in effect since April 1, 2024).

FSC 14: Fruit, Vegetable, and Nut Processing, and Fruit Juices, under the SQF Food Safety Code: Food Manufacturing. It covers the roasting, drying and cutting of nuts and dried, sliced, diced and cut fruit and nut products. No SQF category names nut pasteurization, so your certification body confirms the category for a site that only pasteurizes. Any roasting or pasteurization you rely on as a kill step must be validated (2.5.1, Mandatory).

It can be. A site that both shells whole nuts and roasts them may need both codes; your certification body confirms which codes and categories apply and plans audit time for each. SQFI's annual registration fee is $250 for Primary Plant Production and $650 for Food Manufacturing, capped at $800 in total for two or more codes.

FSC 14: Fruit, Vegetable, and Nut Processing, and Fruit Juices, under the Food Manufacturing code, which names dried, sliced, diced and cut fruit products. Dried fruit made elsewhere and assembled into mixes or gift packs may fall under FSC 25: Repackaging of Product Not Manufactured On-site, which names dried fruit and nuts and applies to products not covered elsewhere. Your certification body confirms the category for each product.

Under Edition 9, FSC 18: Preserved Foods Manufacturing, which names peanut butter, under the Food Manufacturing code. Edition 10 names nut butter under both FSC 14 and FSC 18, so your certification body confirms the category. Seed butters such as tahini and sunflower butter aren't named in any category. Tree nut and peanut butters are on FDA's Food Traceability List; seed butters aren't.

None names them. SQF's Edition 9 food sector categories don't mention sunflower, pumpkin, chia, flax or sesame seeds, or seed butters such as tahini, so your certification body sets the category from what you do to the seeds. Edition 10 lists watermelon seed and nut flours under FSC 22: Processing of Grains and Flours. Sesame is a major food allergen in the U.S., so allergen management (2.8.1, Mandatory) applies to it.

Several, listed here A to Z. For processing, such as roasting nuts, making nut butters and drying fruit (GFSI scopes CII and CIV), GFSI recognizes BRCGS Food Safety, FSSC 22000, IFS Food, JFS-C, PrimusGFS and SQF. For hulling, shelling and packing whole nuts (scope BIII), it recognizes BRCGS Food Safety, FSSC 22000, GLOBALG.A.P., IFS Food, PrimusGFS and SQF, among others. Each program places nut activities in its own categories; for example, BRCGS names roasted nuts in its cereals and snacks category, and IFS lists nuts, seeds and dried fruit in its fruits and vegetables product scope. Each customer decides which programs it accepts, and SQF is more common in the U.S. BRCGS Food Safety, FSSC 22000 (Version 6), IFS Food and PrimusGFS 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. Kiwa ASI doesn't offer GLOBALG.A.P. for produce or nuts, or JFS-C.

No law requires it. Nut, seed and dried fruit companies must meet the FDA rules that apply to them, such as facility registration, good manufacturing practices and preventive controls (with exemptions, for example for farms; businesses that only hull, shell, dry, pack or hold nuts are exempt from the good manufacturing practices), and labeling, plus any USDA rules for their crop, whether or not they're certified. Certification is voluntary, though retailers, food manufacturers and other buyers may ask their suppliers for GFSI-recognized certification.

Category names, scoring and the corrective action deadline. Edition 10 renames FSC 14 Fruit, Vegetable, and Nut Processing, Fruit Juices, and plant-based food and names nut butter in it as well as in FSC 18. In the Food Manufacturing code, approved suppliers (2.3.4), product identification (2.6.1), allergen management (2.8.1), environmental monitoring (2.4.8) and foreign matter control (11.7.3) are among the clauses that become Core Clauses, where a minor non-conformance deducts 2 points and a major 7; ratings become Certified (80–100) or Certified with Surveillance (70–79); and corrective actions get 40 days. Edition 10 audits start no earlier than January 2, 2027, depending on GFSI benchmarking. Kiwa ASI's ANAB accreditation currently covers specific SQF Edition 9 codes, and no Edition 10 code.

It's the older name for certification to an SQF Food Safety Code, such as Primary Plant Production or Food Manufacturing. SQF's three programs, the SQF Fundamentals Program, the SQF Food Safety Codes and the SQF Quality Code, were historically known as Levels 1, 2 and 3, and GFSI's list of recognized programs still labels the Edition 9 food safety codes "level 2." The SQF Quality Code, once Level 3, is optional.

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 for Food Manufacturing sites; a Primary Plant Production packhouse, with its half-day minimum audit and $250 SQFI fee, can come in below them, and 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 ($250 for Primary Plant Production or $650 for Food Manufacturing, capped at $800 for two or more codes), training, any outside help and any facility upgrades.

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 under the Food Manufacturing code (half a day under Primary Plant Production), 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.

70 out of 100 under Edition 9, with no critical non-conformance and every minor and major non-conformance closed within 30 days. 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.

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; for a seasonal site whose six-month date falls outside its season, that's a pre-operational audit at least 30 days before the next season. At least one recertification audit every three years is unannounced and fully on-site, except for sites in a multi-site program.

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.

Yes. SQF treats a site as seasonal when its major harvest or production activity runs no more than five consecutive months, and the initial certification audit then takes place at the peak of the season (Edition 9 Part A, 8.3). A site that wants products from more than one season in its scope agrees with its certification body to hold the initial audit during its highest-risk or highest-volume operation.

Possibly, under the Primary Plant Production code. Edition 9 Appendix 4 lets a low-risk central site, such as a packhouse, manage and certify a network of supplier sub-sites that feed it, such as its orchards, under a legal or contractual link, all in one country and audited by one certification body. SQFI lists a $1,500 registration fee for the central site plus $50 for each sub-site, with a minimum of 10 sub-sites, and sites in a multi-site program are exempt from unannounced audits. SQFI applies multi-site certification to primary production, retail, foodservice, and storage and distribution, so nut processing plants are normally certified one by one.

Kiwa ASI is accredited for the Edition 9 SQF codes these sites use, but accreditation alone doesn't confirm we can audit your food sector category. ASI Food Safety, LLC (Kiwa ASI) is licensed by SQFI and accredited by ANAB (accreditation ID 1222) to ISO/IEC 17065 for specific SQF Edition 9 codes, including Primary Plant Production, which SQF uses for nut growing (FSC 3) and nut packhouses (FSC 4), and Food Manufacturing, which SQF uses for nut and dried fruit processing (FSC 14). 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 and tell you if we can't.

The Module 2 system elements of the Primary Plant Production code plus Module 10, Good Operating Practices for Pre-processing of Plant Products. Mandatory elements include the approved supplier/input purchasing program (2.3.3), the food safety plan (2.4.3), which can be a HACCP-based reference plan developed by a responsible authority or your own, validation (2.5.1), product identification and traceability (2.6.1), food fraud (2.7.2) and allergen management (2.8.1). Module 10 covers pest prevention (10.3.1), cleaning and sanitation (10.3.2), foreign matter control and detection (10.5.2 and 10.5.3), water, ice and air (10.6) and storage (10.7). Packhouse operations also need a risk-based environmental monitoring program (2.4.8). The minimum audit is half a day, at least half of it on-site.

No. Kiwa ASI audits and issues SQF certificates; it doesn't provide laboratory testing. Both SQF codes require external laboratories to be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 or an equivalent standard, and in-house labs to follow ISO/IEC 17025 for their sampling and testing methods, with annual proficiency testing for staff (2.4.4.2 under Food Manufacturing; 2.4.4.1 under Primary Plant Production). The auditor reviews your results, such as aflatoxin certificates, pathogen or environmental monitoring results, as part of the audit.

Yes, if they're California almonds, under a USDA marketing order (7 CFR 981.442), though the rule says "treatment" rather than pasteurization. Handlers must treat almonds before shipment with processes that achieve, in total, at least a 4-log reduction of Salmonella, validated through a process authority the Almond Board of California approves. Handlers may ship untreated almonds directly to approved manufacturers in the United States, Canada or Mexico that achieve the 4-log reduction themselves (the Direct Verifiable, or DV, program), or export them outside those countries; either way, each container must be marked "unpasteurized." The rule is USDA's, not FDA's. SQF doesn't set its own reduction; it requires any kill step you rely on to be validated (2.5.1, Mandatory).

15 parts per billion (ppb) under USDA rules for domestic pistachio shipments and shelled peanuts; FDA's non-binding action level for total aflatoxins is 20 ppb. In detail: pistachios grown in California, Arizona and New Mexico can't be shipped for domestic human consumption above 15 ppb (7 CFR 983.150), and shelled peanuts handled or imported for human consumption must be certified at 15 ppb or less (7 CFR 996.31). FDA's action level of 20 ppb applies to peanuts and peanut products (except raw peanuts that will be further processed to remove moldy and defective nuts), Brazil nuts, pistachios and food in general, as non-binding guidance. SQF doesn't set its own limit; set aflatoxin limits in your specifications (2.3.2) and approve suppliers (2.3.4 under Food Manufacturing, 2.3.3 under Primary Plant Production, both Mandatory).

No. SQF's requirement clauses don't name Salmonella or require a specific kill step. Both codes require a HACCP-based food safety plan that controls the hazards you identify (2.4.3, Mandatory) and validation of the controls you rely on (2.5.1, Mandatory). If your hazard analysis identifies Salmonella and you rely on roasting or pasteurization to control it, that step must be validated; under the Food Manufacturing code, product that has been through it must be protected from raw materials (11.7.1 High-Risk Processes), and environmental monitoring (2.4.8) should cover the areas after it. California almonds also fall under USDA's 4-log treatment rule.

Yes, under both codes for most sites. The Food Manufacturing code (Edition 9) requires a risk-based environmental monitoring program for all food manufacturing processes and the immediate surrounding areas that affect them, with a sampling schedule that names the pathogens or indicator organisms to test for, the number and frequency of samples, the sampling locations, and how to handle elevated results (2.4.8). The Primary Plant Production code requires one for packhouse operations (2.4.8); it doesn't name outdoor orchards. FDA's January 2025 draft guidance on sanitation programs for low-moisture ready-to-eat foods, which names nut butters and processed tree nuts, covers environmental monitoring and corrective actions (FDA draft guidance). In a 2022 peanut butter outbreak, FDA's genome sequencing, reported by CDC, showed that a 2010 sample from the plant's environment was closely related genetically to the outbreak strain.

Usually not, if it only hulls, shells, dries, packs or holds nuts. FDA counts hulling and shelling as harvesting. A huller majority-owned by the farms that grow most of the nuts it handles is itself a farm (21 CFR 1.227), outside Part 117, and doesn't register with FDA. Other businesses solely engaged in hulling, shelling, drying, packing and/or holding nuts are exempt from FDA's good manufacturing practices in subpart B (117.5(k)(1)(v)), and FDA has said it doesn't intend to enforce the preventive controls requirements for hulling and shelling operations that would be farms except for who owns them; those operations still register with FDA. Roasting, pasteurizing, chopping or other processing changes that: the site then follows FDA's good manufacturing practices and, unless exempt (for example, as a qualified facility), needs a food safety plan prepared or overseen by a PCQI. SQF certification doesn't replace FDA requirements.

To some. FDA's Produce Safety Rule (21 CFR Part 112) covers most tree nuts, such as walnuts, pistachios and macadamias, but not cashews, hazelnuts or pecans. It doesn't cover peanuts either. FDA lists all four as rarely consumed raw (112.2(a)(1)) and has said it doesn't intend to enforce the rule for almonds. Covered nuts can be exempt from most of the rule when they'll receive commercial processing that adequately reduces pathogens, with the required disclosure statement and records (112.2(b)). SQF's Primary Plant Production code (Module 7) audits orchards to its own good agricultural practices, which aren't a Produce Safety Rule inspection.

FDA's Food Defect Levels Handbook sets action levels for several of these products. For tree nuts, the levels are for rejects (insect-infested, rancid, moldy, gummy, shriveled or empty shells): 5% for in-shell or shelled almonds, and 10% in-shell or 5% shelled for Brazil nuts, filberts (hazelnuts), pecans, pistachios and walnuts. Shelled peanuts: 5% rejects or 20 whole insects in 100-pound bag siftings. Sesame seeds: 5% insect-infested or damaged, 5% moldy, 5 mg mammalian excreta per pound or 0.5% foreign matter. Raisins: 5% moldy or 40 mg sand and grit per 100 g. Prunes and dates: 5% rejects. Figs: 10% insect-infested, moldy or dirty. The handbook has no levels for dried apricots, coconut or seeds such as sunflower and chia. The levels mark when FDA may consider a food adulterated, not a quality target: FDA requires defects to be kept at the lowest level currently feasible, and lots can't be blended to dilute defects (21 CFR 117.110). For nuts and figs, the handbook flags a potential mycotoxin hazard; aflatoxin itself is governed by FDA's action levels and USDA's rules.

Nut butters are; whole nuts aren't. FDA's Food Traceability List under FSMA section 204 includes all types of tree nut and peanut butters, including coconut and chestnut butters, but not soy or seed butters such as tahini. Whole or roasted nuts, seeds and dried fruit aren't on the list. Congress directed FDA not to enforce the traceability rule before July 20, 2028. SQF still requires one-step-forward, one-step-back traceability for every product (2.6.2 Product Trace under Food Manufacturing; 2.6.1 Product Identification under Primary Plant Production; both Mandatory).

Not on FDA's current list. FDA's fifth edition of its allergen labeling guidance, issued in January 2025, dropped coconut, chestnut, shea and several other nuts from its list of tree nuts, with a transition period for labels. The guidance is non-binding, and FDA's Food Traceability List still names coconut butter as a nut butter, so keep the two lists separate. Tree nuts, peanuts and sesame remain major food allergens.

Yes, when sulfites are used for a purpose, such as sulfur dioxide to keep dried apricots from browning; they must be declared on the label. Sulfites that have no technical effect in the finished food are exempt from declaration only below 10 ppm (21 CFR 101.100(a)(4)). In 2018, a Class I recall of dried apricots found undeclared sulfites at 2,901 ppm. In SQF's Food Manufacturing code, label accuracy falls under 2.3.2.7 and product identification under 2.6.1 (Mandatory).