SQF Re-certification and moving to New Building

Good morning (or night depending on where you are!), all!

 

Our CB, Merieux, just reached out to me to schedule our SQF surveillance audit, as well as give us a block of dates for our unannounced re-certification audit at the end of the year.

 

We are in the very early process of moving into a new building (lease has been signed, but construction to re-outfit the building has not yet started, we are still waiting on permits). We should be (hopefully!) moving into our new building right after the block of dates we were assigned for our unannounced audit. I know we will have to be re-certified after we move into our new building, and have 3 audits in a 12 month period is quite expensive for a small meat processing company!

 

Does anyone have any past experience trying to move audit dates based on this circumstance? Or any advice on what we could possibly do to cut down on the number of audits/cost involved? My plan thus far is to reach our to Merieux to explain our situation and try to move our unannounced re-certification audit back to after we move into our new building, which should be within 60 days or so of dates given for the re-certification audit.

 

I appreciate any and all input.

 

Thanks!

 

Ricky

I think you may have a problem.............

 

 

I think you may have a problem.............

 

5.6 Relocation of Premises

When a certified site relocates their business premises, the site’s certification does not transfer to the new site. A

successful certification of the new premises must be conducted. Although the site’s certificate number shall remain

the same, an initial certification audit of the new premise shall apply, i.e. a desk audit and site audit.

 

 

That's the problem I am seeing. What I would ideally like to do is push back our re-certification audit and schedule our new audit when we move into our new building.

But is you read that clause, it won't be a re-cert it will be a full audit, just like when you first became SQF certified.

 

You should call your CB right now and get this clarified or you may risk losing your certification all together temporarily

Hi Ricky.

 

You can not get a re-cert on a new facility, it will be a whole new certification audit.

 

But, you mentioned a Surveilance audit - that is a bit of a wrinkle, when is your surveilance audit set for and how close is that to your move in date?

Glenn, our surveillance audit is scheduled for April. Our re-cert Unannounced audit dates are between 08/20-10/19. We should be moving into our new building at the end of the year (November or December).

I would ring and discuss with your CB. Also consider going for an announced audit date just this time rather than unannounced.

Hi Ricky, no I don't think there is anyway to avoid the triple header unless you can contact the CB and ask them to drop the last audit at existing due to the close move.

Hi Ricky, no I don't think there is anyway to avoid the triple header unless you can contact the CB and ask them to drop the last audit at existing due to the close move.

 

Thanks, Glenn. That's kind of what I thought would be the case. Calling my CB today to try to get it figured out.