Does Our Contract Manufacturer have to be SQF Certified?

So we have a Contract Manufacturer as per SQF Code. They manufacture and label for us.

Question. Do they HAVE to be SQF certified?

Code says either WE (The site) or 3rd party agency shall audit them against SQF requirements. 

It says "audited", does mean only audited? So they don't have to be "Certified" ?  Or does that mean audited-certified? 

I don't believe they are GFSI Certified. (Yikes I know). 

Edit: Oh and it says "products considered high risk shall be required to undergo an audit....etc".. The products are liquid marinades with low pH and high in salt so not risky. 

So we don't "have" to audit them? 

A little help here. 

No - they are not REQUIRED to be certified and alternately can be audited by you (or a third party), but are required to be held to the SQF standard if I recall.  So they might as well get a GFSI certification. 

Contract manufacturer is required to meet all the requirements of the SQF program.

In answer to your question - no - but the above applies. 

Thus, as long as they meet all the requirements a 3rd party audit would be just fine or a certificate if they are BRC, IFS, FSSC 22000 etc - alll of switch would match your cert.

And... I agree with MsMars - if they are going to all that work, they might as well get SQF certified.