2.5.1 - 2.5.4 SQF System Verification

Does anyone have an example of how the document covering 2.5.1 thru 2.5.4 should look?  Most of the verification and validation methods have been outlined in the individual procedures.  Any help is appreciated!

Suzie :helpplease:

Hi Suzie,

Here are the documents that I use to cover 2.5.1 through 2.5.4:

• 2.5.1.1 - SQF Practitioner Description and SQF System Review Process
• 2.5.1.2 - Internal Auditing Program, SQF System Review Process, and Validation and Effectiveness (table)
• 2.5.1.3 - Document Management Policy
• 2.5.2.1 - SQF System Review Process, and Validation and Effectiveness (table)
• 2.5.2.2 - Document Management Policy
• 2.5.3.1 - Monitoring and Verification Activities (table) and Monitoring and Verification Sections within program, policy, process, etc. documents
• 2.5.4.1 - Receiving Program, Shipping Program, Equipment Calibration Policy, Pest Control Program, Foreign Matter Control Policy, and Complaint Handling Process
• 2.5.4.2 - Trailer inspection sheet used for receiving, trailer inspection sheet used for shipping, calibration logs and records, Pest Sighting Log, Breakage Report, Complaint Information Sheet, and Document Management Policy

To summarize our monitoring and verification activities, and validation methods for the auditor (and it's an easy reference for me), I created tables within a Word document with summaries of information that is, in most cases, already covered in a program document:

• For our "Monitoring and Verification Activities" document (Monitoring & Verification Activities.pdf   365.58KB   1586 downloads), I used the following column headings:  Food Safety Fundamental, Related Facility Program, Related Document(s), Verification Guidance, Who Performs Monitoring Function?, Who Conducts Verification?, How is Verification Documented?, and Verification Frequency. 
• For our "Validation and Effectiveness, Methods and Metrics" document (Validation and Effectiveness, Methods & Metrics.pdf   242.2KB   1353 downloads), I used the following column headings:  Food Safety Fundamental, Related Facility Program, Validation Method, Program Effectiveness Metrics, Frequency of Validation, and Documentation (of validation). 
• The Food Safety Fundamentals that I have listed as rows in both tables:  Personnel Practices, Training of Personnel, Calibration of Equipment, Management of Pests and Vermin, Premises and Equipment Maintenance, Cleaning, Monitoring Water Microbiology and Quality, Control of Physical Contaminants, Waste Management and Disposal, Allergen Control, Transport and Delivery, and Food Safety.

I hope that helps you some.  Just so you know, this has all been reviewed by two different auditors during both our certification and first recertification audits, and we did not have any problems with them. 

All the best,

- erin -

Hi Suzie,

 

Here are the documents that I use to cover 2.5.1 through 2.5.4:

• 2.5.1.1 - SQF Practitioner Description and SQF System Review Process
• 2.5.1.2 - Internal Auditing Program, SQF System Review Process, and Validation and Effectiveness (table)
• 2.5.1.3 - Document Management Policy
• 2.5.2.1 - SQF System Review Process, and Validation and Effectiveness (table)
• 2.5.2.2 - Document Management Policy
• 2.5.3.1 - Monitoring and Verification Activities (table) and Monitoring and Verification Sections within program, policy, process, etc. documents
• 2.5.4.1 - Receiving Program, Shipping Program, Equipment Calibration Policy, Pest Control Program, Foreign Matter Control Policy, and Complaint Handling Process
• 2.5.4.2 - Trailer inspection sheet used for receiving, trailer inspection sheet used for shipping, calibration logs and records, Pest Sighting Log, Breakage Report, Complaint Information Sheet, and Document Management Policy

To summarize our monitoring and verification activities, and validation methods for the auditor (and it's an easy reference for me), I created tables within a Word document with summaries of information that is, in most cases, already covered in a program document:

• For our "Monitoring and Verification Activities" document (Monitoring & Verification Activities.pdf), I used the following column headings:  Food Safety Fundamental, Related Facility Program, Related Document(s), Verification Guidance, Who Performs Monitoring Function?, Who Conducts Verification?, How is Verification Documented?, and Verification Frequency. 
• For our "Validation and Effectiveness, Methods and Metrics" document (Validation and Effectiveness, Methods & Metrics.pdf), I used the following column headings:  Food Safety Fundamental, Related Facility Program, Validation Method, Program Effectiveness Metrics, Frequency of Validation, and Documentation (of validation). 
• The Food Safety Fundamentals that I have listed as rows in both tables:  Personnel Practices, Training of Personnel, Calibration of Equipment, Management of Pests and Vermin, Premises and Equipment Maintenance, Cleaning, Monitoring Water Microbiology and Quality, Control of Physical Contaminants, Waste Management and Disposal, Allergen Control, Transport and Delivery, and Food Safety.

I hope that helps you some.  Just so you know, this has all been reviewed by two different auditors during both our certification and first recertification audits, and we did not have any problems with them. 

 

All the best,

- erin -

Hi Erin,

I was taking a look at the documents you posted here, thanks! They were helpful to kind of get an idea of what these standards were looking for. I had a question about the Validation and Effectiveness document you attached: for the validation documentation, you mentioned validation summaries for each Food Safety fundamental/ element. If it's not too much to ask, would you mind posting a sample of one of these summaries? I suppose I just want to know what sorts of things to look for when engaging in the validation procedure, how detailed the summary needs to be, etc.? 

Thanks so much!

Hi Erin,

 

I was taking a look at the documents you posted here, thanks! They were helpful to kind of get an idea of what these standards were looking for. I had a question about the Validation and Effectiveness document you attached: for the validation documentation, you mentioned validation summaries for each Food Safety fundamental/ element. If it's not too much to ask, would you mind posting a sample of one of these summaries? I suppose I just want to know what sorts of things to look for when engaging in the validation procedure, how detailed the summary needs to be, etc.? 

 

Thanks so much!

I am glad to have been able to help some!  Here are the templates that I am currently using.  When a program "passes," I just use, "Continue to monitor the program," in the Proposed Action(s) section.

I am glad to have been able to help some!  Here are the templates that I am currently using.  When a program "passes," I just use, "Continue to monitor the program," in the Proposed Action(s) section.

Erin,

Wow, Thank you so much (and thank you for your quick response as well) !!! This is so very helpful!  :w00t:  :biggrin:

What level of SQF did you guys achieve? How was the auditing process for you guys (i.e. how would you describe it)? Did you guys do a GAP/Practice audit first? If so, what are your thoughts on it, do you recommend in investing in one? 

Hi erin.m.v,

Thks yr attractive attachments.

I was intrigued by yr (minimum) weekly verification frequency schedule for daily allergen control sheets.

i wonder what you do if a discrepancy on, say, a Monday form is only found 1 week later ? I deduce SQF auditors are happy with yr current scheme ?.

My curiosity stems from being dinged in a BRC audit for a related issue. Was obliged to modify schedule so that verification achieved within max. 2 days.

Erin,

 

Wow, Thank you so much (and thank you for your quick response as well) !!! This is so very helpful!  :w00t:  :biggrin:

 

What level of SQF did you guys achieve? How was the auditing process for you guys (i.e. how would you describe it)? Did you guys do a GAP/Practice audit first? If so, what are your thoughts on it, do you recommend in investing in one? 

Level 2 (Modules 2 and 12)

I was not a part of the mission to become SQF certified until after our facility had its GAP analysis done, but would definitely recommend doing one (if you haven't already) simply because anything that helps you identify areas that need improvement prior to your certification audit is worth investing in.  If we had not fixed the items that were identified in our GAP analysis, we would not have been in a world of hurt at our audit.

How was the auditing process for us?  That's a tough question to answer--the auditing process has been many things!  Surprisingly easy at times (because you're well organized), infuriating at times (because of inconsistencies between auditors and between audits), almost fun at times (because auditors are people too and can be good company)...  The auditing process is incredibly easy, if you are prepared.  It becomes miserable when you find yourself being asked about the ONE thing that you didn't have time to get around to doing. 

GOOD LUCK!

Hi Erin.M.V,

Are you still on this forum? I have to ask you how/where you came up with these neat forms? I am just starting the SQF Level 2 process, with an initial audit 2 September. Since I am tackling this MASSIVE project on my own, any help that you (or anyone else) might be able to give is much appreciated. I'm certainly overwhelmed. 

Thanks!

Wayne 

Hello Erin,

Thanks for your useful post. I was wondering if you would post verification summary template as we had an SQF audit in last week and we have NC regarding this issue (NC: There were no records to show that these verification checks had actually been performed). Though we will achieve rating G but we have to close out some NCs. I moved from the UK to the USA and was not familiar with SQF codes but I gained immense knowledge about SQF codes throughout this audit. This is the company's first SQF audit and I got only 4 months to prepare the company  for SQF certification.

Thanks in advance and will appreciate your help.

Sincerely,

Raja 

Trying to maintain our original method of verifying the effectiveness of our programs was much too time consuming, so I overhauled it at the beginning of the year. The new system is much less detailed, as it only relies on data pulled from our annual internal audit and re-certification audit findings. For the purposes of our facility (a public frozen good warehouse), which does not handle any exposed food and now has a proven track record of not needing to be micro-managed in order to achieve the desired results, this level of inquiry is adequate. In my opinion, it would not be enough in every situation; some facilities would require a more detailed examination.

Hope the attached documents can be of some use.

Best wishes,

Erin

Hi erin,

Nice to hear from you and thks for the interesting document (looks a candidate for an Excel format ?).

Seemed quite imaginative to this non-SQF user :thumbup: .

Appears to have somewhat re-defined SQF's own terminology - "Food Safety Fundamentals".

And introduced a definition for "Effective".

Both the above seemed slightly SQF "Auditor - Combative" to myself. Has the document been audit-tested yet ?.

Hi Charles,

This was the system that was in place during our last re-certification audit and the auditor reviewed everything, but didn't even have any questions about it. I was ready for them though!  :cool:  Our only 2 non-conformances came from the facility walk-through; for the first time, our documentation got 100%.

I feel it is worth mentioning again that I do not believe this system would be appropriate for every facility. For our facility, which does not handle exposed food--ever, it meets the requirements of the SQF Code and only takes me a couple of days to complete, while our previous system took weeks (not to mentioned many, many more sheets of paper!).

In 2018, we will have a different SQF auditor and they could have an issue with it. If so, I'll let you know. :smile:

Cheers,

Erin

Erin,

I am wondering how you do the Discrepancy Management Process, and Discrepancy Management Tracker.  I am confused on what this is.

Thank You

This has been a great help to me i like the simplicity of your validation summary sheet and will definitely be leaning heavily on it to create some that work for me and my company. Thank you Erin.

Help! I following this scheme and the auditor won't accept it. Says he wants a documented process that describes the methods and criteria. He accepted the schedule but wants more. I think he's made because we appealed and won some of his NC. 

Help! I following this scheme and the auditor won't accept it. Says he wants a documented process that describes the methods and criteria. He accepted the schedule but wants more. I think he's made because we appealed and won some of his NC. 

Hi Pc,

Which specific clauses/sub-clauses are you referring to ?

If you mean you have a schedule of when things happen, but no documented procedure on how to do those things, then you're auditor is correct

Agree with Charles, you need to elaborate here

2.5.2.2. -This information is listed with each program, why do you have to duplicate it again? This auditor sent me back three NC by noon that he didn't accept then sent out another 4 NC responses after 7 pm and gone for the day. I had already emailed him thinking the 3 NC responses he sent back were the last and he didn't even acknowledge my response. I should probably add this is for Module 10. We are certified for Module 12 and 10. We had to add Module 10 because the previous auditor would not consider our repack as recoup.

can you post an example of one of your written programs so we can see exactly what you're talking about?

Here's our temperature control 

Apparently it won't let me attach anything so I'm going to have to go back to trying to make something up the auditor will accept.  Sorry everyone! Today is the last day that I can submit anything so I'm going to search the web for some answers. 

https://www.tuv-nord...per-march-2017/


I found this link help on developing my verification document to go along with the verification schedule.

Hi Pck,

Gives a "PAGE NOT FOUND" for me ???

Thks anyway.