The Path to GFSI Certification - Produce Distribution

Hello!

I have been reading the forums on IFSQN for the last 8 months, and it's about time I post.

I manage safety and quality for two distribution facilities. Our product is mostly raw produce with some dairy, eggs, and value added fruits and veggies thrown in the mix. My company picks the product up from the supplier, delivers it to our warehouse, and then distributes to mostly a food service and processor customer base. With that said, I am looking to have both facilities receive a GFSI certified audit in 2017.

I attended the Implementing SQF training, so I've been leaning towards the SQF audit scheme. It would make sense to go for a Storage and Distribution audit, however, one of the facilities has a light repacking operation. Does this mean that the facility with the very very small broken lot operation cannot receive an audit under SQF module 12? Does said facility need to receive a Module 10 audit instead? 

Just to note, repackaging at this facility consists of  box to box and box to bag movement of produce all within the same lot/ date code. We do not clean or trim product. 

Thanks!

Kacie

Hi Kacie, 

I work at a produce distributor with light repacking. We also are in the process of implementing SQF. We are implementing both module 10 and 12. A lot of the sections of 10 and 12 overlap (see below). Any policies/procedures I have written include the criteria for both modules and I include both sections numbers in the title for easy reference (i.e. 10.2.1 (12.2.9)  Pest and Vermin Control).

Please see attached.

Thanks so much! Your Overlap spreadsheet will be very helpful. 

We are a Fresh Produce Distributor with a small repack and bagging line operation and we are SQF certified under Module 12 only.  Depending on your certifying body you should be able to focus on just that module.

Thank you. 

That is good to know, KrissyFSCM. 

Gee, you might need upwards of 2 or 3 additional modules.  We have found that if the secondary modules are extremely close in requirement that SQFI wll inform you (just call them) that overlap is not needed - thus you may not need to add module, however with a repack operation you may need too.

We are an organization very similar to yours, we repack but do not process anything, Categories 25/26. We were audited under modules 2 & 12.