SQF Document Retention
Hi,
Does anyone know if SQF has a regulation on document retention? I've asked our CB but they don't even have a answer for me. We are a flexible packaging company that prints on film for our customers to package snacked goods including cookies, chips, figs, dog food, cat food, etc.
We are level 1 certified in SQF - We do not have a formal HACCP Program as level 1 does not require us to have it. Our current procedure is that we purge all documents after one year. Should we be keeping documents longer than that?
Thanks.
Hi J.Yang,
There is no specified period of retention in the SQF Code.
From the SQF Code:
2.2.2 Records (M)
2.2.2.3 Records shall be readily accessible, retrievable, securely stored to prevent damage and deterioration and shall be retained in accordance with periods specified by a customer or regulations.
From SQF Guidance:
There is no prescribed duration for retention of records. For some suppliers it may be prescribed by legislation, customer requirements or insurance coverage. Apart from those requirements, the general rule is to retain records for the commercial shelf-life of the product (i.e., the maximum time before consumption). However for short shelf-life products, suppliers must retain records beyond the next recertification audit, as a minimum.
So retaining documents for 1 year complies with the SQF Code (as long as you retain until your next recertification audit). I do see a customer requirement for packaging records to be retained for the life of the finished product now and then so I would also get agreement from your customers that this is acceptable.
Regards,
Tony
You need to keep records for:
The greater of:
The length of customer requirement
or
The length of regulatory requirement
If it is not required by either of those then:
At least 1 year (for audits)
As appropriate.
EX
If your state/government says 3 years on something then you have to keep it that long even if customers require 1 year.
Thanks for your replies! I will be contacting my customers for their requirements.
I wouldn't necessarily ask them their requirements. If they haven't stated them to you in the contract with your company then I would retain them for one year and if they request something older then accommodate it moving forward.
Otherwise your asking for a headache depending on how many customers you have.
I wouldn't necessarily ask them their requirements. If they haven't stated them to you in the contract with your company then I would retain them for one year and if they request something older then accommodate it moving forward.
Otherwise your asking for a headache depending on how many customers you have.
That makes sense. Thanks for the heads up!
I wouldn't necessarily ask them their requirements. If they haven't stated them to you in the contract with your company then I would retain them for one year and if they request something older then accommodate it moving forward.
Otherwise your asking for a headache depending on how many customers you have.
:sofa1:
I see this quite regularly ............... a reluctance to communicate and provide the best possible service to the customer!
:sofa1:
I see this quite regularly ............... a reluctance to communicate and provide the best possible service to the customer!
This is definitely a topic to discuss at our SQF Management Review Meeting next week. Thanks for all the inputs. I appreciate all the help.