SQF - Frequency of specification review
Hi,
We are a BRCGS Food Safety certificated site and as such have a requirement to review specifications at least every 3 years.
Is there an equivalent rule with a set review timeframe in the SQF Food standard?
I have a supplier who continues to send documentation that dates all the way back to 2017 and then says nothing's changed, but also does not provide evidence of any kind of formal review. The supplier is SQF certified and my feeling is 6 years is getting on a bit... any SQF auditors out there that have a view on this and what is acceptable under that standard?
Thanks
Hi Dehydrated,
The SQF Code requires specifications to be “current” and to be reviewed when there are changes. It does not specify a period for review directly but previous guidance indicated an annual review was required, although nothing specific regarding evidence of that specification review. The relevant requirements and guidance are quoted below.
SQF Food Safety Code: – System Elements Animal Product Manufacturing, Edition 9
2.3.2 Specifications (Raw Material, Packaging, Finished Product, and Services)
2.3.2.2 Specifications for all raw materials and packaging, including, but not limited to, ingredients, additives, hazardous chemicals, processing aids, and packaging that impact finished product safety shall be documented and kept current.
2.3.2.10 Specifications for raw materials and packaging, chemicals, processing aids, contract services, and finished products shall be reviewed as changes occur that impact product safety. Records of reviews shall be maintained.
And to ensure the final product meets both company and customer requirements, finished product specifications are to be documented, approved by the customer and kept current.
Guidance for Developing, Documenting, Implementing, Maintaining and Auditing an SQF Food Safety System for Manufacturing SQF Code, Edition 8.1–SQF System Elements for Manufacturing
The supplier needs to ensure that the annual review of the SQF System (refer to 2.1.4.2) includes a review of the finished product specifications and that the list of specifications is maintained and kept current in a register (list).
Specifications are reviewed as part of the management review process (refer to 2.1.4.2).
I would expect the supplier to review a specification every 3 years. BRCGS really lead the way in laying down requirements, here is BRCGS Guidance on this matter:
Evidence that a review has been completed needs to be available and this should be achieved through the addition of a signature and date to the specification or through the use of a matrix showing specifications and the latest review date and reviewer.
6 years is taking the P, as a minimum I would want the supplier to confirm in writing that the specification has been reviewed and current.
Kind regards,
Tony
In my experience, suppliers often forgot to inform their customers about changes.
Even if the standard sets a longer review period, I think it makes sense to review specs annually to stay on top of any changes.
That said, several BRC-certified companies I know have a 3-year review cycle for specs.
We are SQF and review specs annually--we sign off on a register that they were reviewed along with the version date---some are pushing 5 years old, but are still accurate
Thanks everyone for your feedback on how SQF works. Seems it's definitely a little more flexible on how specifications are managed/reviewed than BRCGS.
As an old manager of mine always used to say 'there's more than one way to skin a cat'. Some ways just give you more confidence in the information you are working with than others.
- Review any food safety and procedural information annually at least.
- Changes in process or operations, must be reflected in the written procedures/documents immediately.
I'm in the same boat as scampi, we review incoming specs once a year, but I definitely have some that haven't changed in a decade. However, they do review them, and almost always the dates on the paperwork reflect that. Some raw materials rarely if ever change.
For our specs, when someone requests one, I update it, unless I know i have already in a recent window, which I know by the date at the bottom, so all my specs i send out are within the year, always.
If a supplier is sending you and older specification, that is fine, as they may review it internally and have no changes. I would ask them to either place a review date on it or ask them to sign and date the spec for the current year.
We request updated documents every year. If a supplier sends me the specification and it is unchanged, I still save it with this years documents received and when audited show it to the auditor. I've never had an issue during an SQF audit with this. I believe I may have been questioned once and I showed the auditor the email from the supplier from that year, showing that they sent me their most recent updated documents. Again, I had no issues.