By Kathy Chiao, Marketing Specialist, SQFI
Food retailers play a critical role in influencing food safety protocols and expectations between food manufacturers and consumers. The need to limit risk and maintain consumer trust is essential. Grocers must take every measure to protect their customers and their brand, including choosing the food safety certification required of their suppliers.
With more than 10,000 site certificates world-wide, the Safe Quality Food Program continues to be a highly sought-after global food safety and quality certification program for its rigorousness and credibility. Administered by the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI), the SQF Program is the only GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) benchmarked program that receives direct feedback from food retailers at all levels. SQFI, a division of FMI, is able to incorporate solutions from retailer concerns into the SQF Programs.
New SQF Codes Coming in October. Public Review & Comment Period is Open.
There will be 11 new 9.0 Codes introduced in October 2020 with a May 2021 implementation. The public comment period for the SQF Codes Edition 9 has begun, and SQFI is looking to food retailers to provide their insight into issues that matter most to consumers.
With the help of the SQF Technical Advisory Council, certification bodies, training centers, and commodity-specific Technical Working Groups, we have updated the SQF Food Safety and Quality Codes to prepare for the future of food safety. We’re excited to announce that Edition 9 will offer a series of customized standards for our principal industry groups in the form of individual SQF Codes for the specific sectors, encompassing the entire supply chain.
We welcome your comments for the following SQF Codes and modules.
- SQF Food Safety Code for Food Manufacturing
- SQF Food Safety Code for Manufacture of Dietary Supplements (NEW)
- SQF Food Safety Code for Manufacture of Animal Products
- SQF Food Safety Code for Pet Food Manufacturing
- SQF Food Safety Code for Manufacture of Food Packaging
- SQF Food Safety Code for Primary Plant Production
- SQF Food Safety Code for Storage and Distribution
- The SQF Quality Code
- SQF Food Safety Code for Manufacture of Feed
Public Comment Coming Soon:
- SQF Food Safety Code for Livestock Production
- SQF Food Safety Code for Aquaculture
- Part A Methodology
- Appendices
The public comment period will close on July 31, 2020, and the SQF Codes Edition 9 will be launched during the SQF Conference in October. Implementation of the Codes will occur in May 2021.
We look forward to your input and thank you for your on-going support of the SQF program.
For questions regarding the SQF Program or the Edition 9 Public Comment, please contact info@sqfi.com.
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