11 replies to this topic

[NorCalNate]

I'm putting together my companies trainings for most SQF-required training materials and could use some help. I'm very new to SQF and therefore the way I'm putting my trainings together is by going down each module and adding relevant material to Power Points, or if we already have the Policy, I reiterate relevant pieces from the policy itself. If you have suggestions on how you created material or have any materials you've used, I'd greatly appreciate it. 

 

I need to create the below Trainings for my facility (we make and produce wine):

 

• Personal Hygiene & Food Safety Policy
• Document Control
• HACCP Overview
• Water Control
• Records Maintenance
• Cleaning and Sanitation
• Chemical Control
• Internal Auditing
• Allergen Management
• Allergen Management
• CAPA Log
• Customer Complaint
• Crisis Management
• Maintenance of the Food Safety System
• Hazardous Communication/Emergency Preparedness
• Waste Management
• Calibration
• Regulatory Requirements - FSMA

[Scampi]

I would also add the visitor policy as well as the "see something-say something" policy

 

You've omitted recall and trace

 

You may want to break it out again for the management team as their training would be different than your production staff

[Brendan Triplett]

It looks as though you are making a list of PRPs and GMPs.  

 

Don't forget Food Defense.  FDA provides a free certificate program that reviews that and it is what I use.  Here is the link:

 

U.S. Food & Drug Administration Home Page (fda.gov)

 

Cheers!

[Mulan1010]

Great start of a training list.  In addition to the suggestions of Scampi and Brendan I would like to suggest you include:

• Food Fraud
• Pest Control
• Food Safety Culture
• Using only Approved Suppliers and Raw Materials
• Holding Non-Conforming Product and equipment or areas and your Release Policy/Program
• Product Rework (if you do so in your process)
• Environmental Monitoring 
• Foreign Material Controls

These are in the details but in our experience we have had auditors ask if we have covered the following specifics in our training so we have slides covering each:

• In line with Scampi's suggestion "see something-say something", you may want to go so far as to have it clearly spelled out in your training "Notify Supervisor or Management if there is a food safety issue or concern."  We have had more than one auditor ask us to show where our training materials covered that. 
• Discuss your SQF Food Safety Policy/Commitment Statement and where it is physically located for everyone to be able to see and read
• Cover your facility's food safety objectives with your team.
• Organizational Chart and reporting structure
• In Allergen Management ensure you cover break room area and personal food and drinks that employees bring i

Wish you the best of luck in you new position.  It is great you found this group as they are wonderful support for someone new to the food safety industry as well as for those of us that have been in it for a while now.  I learn something new from this group all the time.

[bbrown]

create a training matrix that will drive your training calendar. This matrix will list which trainings employees must attend based on their position in the company. To develop the matrix, go over the different pre-requisite programs of the standards (covering both the system elements and food safety fundamentals) and you will realize what trainings need to be conducted to satisfy the requirements of the code.

 

We have had several SQF audits now and this has always been accepted by our auditors. 

[NorCalNate]

I would also add the visitor policy as well as the "see something-say something" policy

 

You've omitted recall and trace

 

You may want to break it out again for the management team as their training would be different than your production staff

 

Thanks Scampi. Do you think I could included "see something; say something" into the Food Defense policy, or does this require its own Policy and training material? Seems like something that'd fit naturally into Food Defense.

[Scampi]

I would add it to Food Defense, or/and the general GMP policy

 

Also add a way that employees can anonymously report things  ( a lock box or some such item) is beneficial 

[NorCalNate]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I had another question regarding following the SQF Modules, for example, we don't have an official "Foreign Material Control" policy, however under SQF 9.0, we do have individual procedures and forms which comply with the module's individual (ie, 11.7.4.1 through 11.7.4.5). 

 

Do we need an official Policy/Procedure, or is it adequate pointing out the docs which we have showing compliance?

[Spidey]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I had another question regarding following the SQF Modules, for example, we don't have an official "Foreign Material Control" policy, however under SQF 9.0, we do have individual procedures and forms which comply with the module's individual (ie, 11.7.4.1 through 11.7.4.5). 

 

Do we need an official Policy/Procedure, or is it adequate pointing out the docs which we have showing compliance?

 

I wrote a document where I provide a summary of the controls I have in place, it references all of the policies and procedures I have in place.

[NorCalNate]

Great start of a training list.  In addition to the suggestions of Scampi and Brendan I would like to suggest you include:

• Food Fraud
• Pest Control
• Food Safety Culture
• Using only Approved Suppliers and Raw Materials
• Holding Non-Conforming Product and equipment or areas and your Release Policy/Program
• Product Rework (if you do so in your process)
• Environmental Monitoring 
• Foreign Material Controls

These are in the details but in our experience we have had auditors ask if we have covered the following specifics in our training so we have slides covering each:

• In line with Scampi's suggestion "see something-say something", you may want to go so far as to have it clearly spelled out in your training "Notify Supervisor or Management if there is a food safety issue or concern."  We have had more than one auditor ask us to show where our training materials covered that. 
• Discuss your SQF Food Safety Policy/Commitment Statement and where it is physically located for everyone to be able to see and read
• Cover your facility's food safety objectives with your team.
• Organizational Chart and reporting structure
• In Allergen Management ensure you cover break room area and personal food and drinks that employees bring i

Wish you the best of luck in you new position.  It is great you found this group as they are wonderful support for someone new to the food safety industry as well as for those of us that have been in it for a while now.  I learn something new from this group all the time.

Thank you Mulan! Do you think between the list of trainings you recommended and the ones from my original post that we should be covered? Also, are there any trainings topics from my list that might not be required? We got this list from a source and I wanted to make sure all of the "training topics" which I listed were required.

 

Thanks again.

[Mulan1010]

  I do think that all of the topics in your list are required and between all the suggestions in this post you should be covered.  With the understanding that you will have specific training needed for certain jobs such as CCP Monitoring for the employees responsible for monitoring your CCP's or any employees who are responsible for verifying and/or calibrating equipment should be trained on how to verify/calibrate the equipment, etc...    

 

  On you question concerning Foreign Material Control "Do we need an official Policy/Procedure, or is it adequate pointing out the docs which we have showing compliance?"  SQF Code: 2.4.2.2 "The Good Manufacturing Practices applicable to the scope of certification outlining how food safety is controlled and assured shall be documented and implemented."  11.7.3.1 "The responsibility and methods used to prevent foreign matter contamination of the product shall be documented, implemented, and communicated to all staff."  - I would suggest you write up an official policy/procedure on this topic.  As Spidey suggested, you can make it a summary of what you have in place, just ensure what you have in place does address each section listed under 11.7.3 Control of Foreign Matter Contamination in some way.  The easier you make it on the auditor to find the information he/she is looking for, the better the audit goes for you both.  We go so far as to have all our policies/programs organized in the order of the SQF Code so can flow from one to the other.  

[NorCalNate]

  I do think that all of the topics in your list are required and between all the suggestions in this post you should be covered.  With the understanding that you will have specific training needed for certain jobs such as CCP Monitoring for the employees responsible for monitoring your CCP's or any employees who are responsible for verifying and/or calibrating equipment should be trained on how to verify/calibrate the equipment, etc...    

 

  On you question concerning Foreign Material Control "Do we need an official Policy/Procedure, or is it adequate pointing out the docs which we have showing compliance?"  SQF Code: 2.4.2.2 "The Good Manufacturing Practices applicable to the scope of certification outlining how food safety is controlled and assured shall be documented and implemented."  11.7.3.1 "The responsibility and methods used to prevent foreign matter contamination of the product shall be documented, implemented, and communicated to all staff."  - I would suggest you write up an official policy/procedure on this topic.  As Spidey suggested, you can make it a summary of what you have in place, just ensure what you have in place does address each section listed under 11.7.3 Control of Foreign Matter Contamination in some way.  The easier you make it on the auditor to find the information he/she is looking for, the better the audit goes for you both.  We go so far as to have all our policies/programs organized in the order of the SQF Code so can flow from one to the other.  

Wow, even the passages from the SQF modules, you're truly an expert! Thank you for the note.