Ensuring safe quality food from "farm to fork."
The SQF Program is an internationally recognized comprehensive food safety and quality management system to cover the entire food chain from “farm to fork.” The Program is made up of two codes (standards), the SQF 1000 Code for the primary production sector and the SQF 2000 Code for the food manufacturing and service sectors. Suppliers can implement a management system which meets any of the following three levels of certification:
- Level 1: Food Safety Fundamentals: Indicates that pre-requisite programs and fundamental food safety controls have been implemented to provide a sound foundation for the further development of the supplier’s management system.
- Level 2: Certified HACCP Food Safety Plans: Incorporates all Level 1 system requirements, and indicates that a food safety risk assessment of the product and its associated processes has been completed. This assessment must identify the hazards and the actions taken to eliminate, prevent or reduce their occurrences.
- Level 3: Comprehensive Food Safety and Quality Management System: Incorporates all Level 1 and Level 2 system requirements, and indicates that a food quality risk assessment of the product and its associated process has been completed. Additionally, at Level 3 an organization must show that the actions taken to prevent the incidence of poor quality have been implemented and that the remaining quality management system procedures addressed in the standard have been implemented.
The standard combines generally recognized key elements to ensure food safety along the food chain, including:
- Control of food safety hazards through prerequisite programs and HACCP-based food safety plans
- Control of potential threats to quality through HACCP-based food quality plans
- Principles of system management
- Maintenance of the management system
Who is it relevant to?
These international standards are designed to be used by any business in the food supply chain operating in domestic or global markets, from primary producers to manufacturers, and those who offer services to the food industry.
Next steps
Request a quote, find out more about training courses or contact us for more details.
Implementing your food safety and quality management system which meets the requirements of the relevant SQF Code will bring the following benefits to your organization:
- A standard that is recognized by your domestic and international retailer customers
- Enable access to new markets through inclusion of your business in the SQF database of certified suppliers
- A tool to build communication, confidence and trust between your organization and your retail customers
- A management system aligned with the NACMCF and Codex HACCP principles and guidelines
- Increase profits by aligning your products to retailer/consumer requirements
- An auditable standard which provides the framework for third-party certification
- An auditable standard with clear requirements
- A systematic evaluation of your product and process to improve the safety and quality of your product and reduce waste
- A tool to demonstrate sustainable production and manufacturing best practices
- Enables communication about hazards with partners in the supply chain
More specific benefits include:
- Implementation and certification to the level required by you and your customer
- Internal resource optimization
- Hazard analysis to evaluate threats to food safety
- Risk analysis to evaluate threats to quality
- Better planning, less post process verification
- Improved documentation
- The ability to reduce the number and frequency of inconsistent and costly audits
- Systematic management of prerequisite programs
- The ability to demonstrate "due diligence" and compliance with regulatory and product traceability requirements
- Dynamic communication on food safety issues with suppliers, customers, regulators and other interested parties
- A systematic and proactive approach to identification of food safety hazards and development and implementation of control measures
Next steps
Request a quote, find out more about training courses or contact us for more details.
We are experts in training as well as assessment and have a network of public and in-house courses dedicated to teaching you the skills you need before, during and after implementing the appropriate SQF Code and the information you need in order to audit an SQF system.
BSI is a licensed SQF training center authorized by FMI and SQFI to conduct SQF training. Our network of public and in-house training can help you at every stage of the process. Our experience of how organizations of all types and sizes relate to the standard is unequalled - and we can deliver the training you need for understanding, implementing and maintaining your SQF system.
We offer a comprehensive program of training courses covering every aspect of the SQF program for:
Students who are new to the SQF Program and food safety management systems
- Courses in implementing an SQF system
Students who need to audit and improve an existing system
- Courses in auditing an SQF system
Next steps
Request a quote, find out more about training courses or contact us for more details.
