Internal audit recognition vs SQF

Hi everyone,

Our company has for many years been performing Food Safety, quality and security audits through the corporate QA departement. In other words, our 25 certified site do not performe any internal audit - these are covered by corporate QA and done once per year as per ISO 19011 auditing principles.

Recently, it has come to our attention, that SQF would no longer recognized corporate audits as "internal audits" in order to have each certified facility responsable of their own internal audits.

Thanks everyone for your input

Denis B

Hi Denis,

Do the 25 sites have individual certification or do they fall under Module 16: Requirements for SQF Multi-site Programs Managed by a Central Site?:

16.4 Internal Audits
16.4.1 The central site shall document its internal audit procedure which shall include an internal audit schedule and outline the method of conducting audits of sub-sites and the central site administrative function.

Regards,

Tony
 

HI Tony,

Sorry for the delay - in facts all 25 facilities are independant therefore have individual certification. Part of the corporate profile, each facility uses several corporate services like QA, Sales, Purchasing, Logistics, HR, IT.... each manufacturing site is independant and none are on Multi-site certification - each have acheived their own certification. Corporate QA performes, once per year between 2 to 4 days audits depending on the site size. Our food safety audit reviews the SQF program, HACCP program and the corporate Food Safety and Securuty Policy. Our SQF modules are 2 and 11 no more.

Each year, I prepare an audit calendar that is send out for approuval by each site QC and plant managers - later an audti noticed is send out 2 to 3 weeks prior to the audit itself. But corporate QA manages all food safety and security audits and sned out an audit report per site to the audited site plus upper management. This program is what we call "Internal Audit" - plants for themselves will perform HACCP and SQF reevaluation each year plus a plant and documents review.

Thanks everyone for any input.

DenisB