How to Achieve Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program Certification
The SQF (Safe Quality Food) Program is a leading, global food safety and quality certification program and management system designed to meet the needs of buyers and suppliers worldwide. It provides independent certification that a supplier's food safety and quality management system complies with international and domestic food safety regulations.
Certification is reassurance for retailers and branded manufacturers of the standards met by you as a supplier. AsureQuality, as an approved Certification Body for SQF, can help you achieve this.
Advantage of Meeting SQF Standards
The Standard enables suppliers to assure their customers that food has been produced, processed, prepared and handled according to the highest possible standards, at all levels of the supply chain.SQF is designed as a food safety program, but it also covers product quality, a feature that is unique to a certification program of this type. Assuring consistent quality and meeting buyer specifications are important aspects of the buyer-supplier relationship.
AsureQuality capability
AsureQuality is an approved Certification Body for the following two SQF Standards:
- The SQF 1000 Code for primary producers and growers
- The SQF 2000 Code for the manufacturing, processing and distribution sectors.
Both are based on the principles of HACCP.
The SQF Systems cover the following broad requirements:
Standard Requirement | SQF 1000 Code | SQF 2000 Code |
|---|---|---|
| Commitment | Yes | Yes |
| Document control and records | Yes | Yes |
| Specification | Yes | |
| Specification and product development | Yes | |
| Attaining food safety (and quality) | Yes | Yes |
| Verification | Yes | Yes |
| Product identification, trace and recall | Yes | |
| Product identification, trace, withdrawal and recall | Yes | |
| Site security | Yes | Yes |
Steps to gaining SQF Certification
| Step 1 |
| Contact AsureQuality to seek more information about becoming certified to the SQF program, the logistics of auditing your company, other certification requirements and pricing. |
| Step 2 |
Register your company on the SQF Database To get started, you will first need to register your company in the
Note: Royalty fees will need to be paid directly to SQF through the SQF Quickfire web site. |
| Step 3 |
Choose your level of Certification
Most retail operations currently require their suppliers to be certified to Level 3. If you are in doubt please contact your customers for advice. |
| Step 4 |
Designate an Internal SQF Practitioner. (Or hire an SQF Consultant, see Step 5 below). Be a full time employee and hold a position of responsibility in relation to the management of your SQF system. Online Training: Implementing SQF 2000 Systems Online exam |
| Step 5 |
| Hire an SQF Consultant (Optional instead of an internal SQF Practitioner). |
| Step 6 |
| Identify training needs (See STEP 4 above). |
| Step 7 |
| Develop, document and implement your system. |
| Step 8 |
| Select your chosen Certification Body on the SQF Quickfire Database. |
| Step 9 |
| Schedule an SQF audit. |
| Step 10 |
| On-site audit. An SQF registered AsureQuality auditor will assess your systems against the relevant SQF Code. |
| Step 11 |
| Corrective actions can be up-loaded directly into the SQF QuickFire database for close-out by the auditor. |
| Step 12 |
| Once all non-compliances have been addressed, and other administrative requirements have been met, you will be certified to the required SQF standard. |
