Does SQF allow only a part of production to be certified?
We are adding 4-5 new machines in a secluded area in our production facility and are wanting to only have this area compliant to SQF. Does anyone know if SQF will allow this or do we need to have our entire production facility compliant?
You can have exclusions to the certificate. I would discuss with the organization you are going to use for the audit. your situation sounds more complicated than a typical "exclusion"
More information would be needed to make even a guess. Describe your process and the role of the new machines perhaps?
These other areas however are still subject to inspection to ensure no cross over of functions exist.
More information would be needed to make even a guess. Describe your process and the role of the new machines perhaps?
We are a flexo printer, in the label and flexible packaging industry. We print, laminate the films, slit, package, and ship. We largely have medical/pharma customers, but not food contact customers. Recently, the company purchased the empty suite next door to us and have acquired new food contact customers. The company also purchased a few new machines (printer, laminator, slitter) that would be used just for manufacturing food contact packaging. This area is separated (in its own room wall to wall) away from our normal open production space. We would need to exclude the rest of our normal production (non food contact) and just qualify /certify the area with the new machines (food contact)? Sounds like we can from the other responses.
We are a flexo printer, in the label and flexible packaging industry. We print, laminate the films, slit, package, and ship. We largely have medical/pharma customers, but not food contact customers. Recently, the company purchased the empty suite next door to us and have acquired new food contact customers. The company also purchased a few new machines (printer, laminator, slitter) that would be used just for manufacturing food contact packaging. This area is separated (in its own room wall to wall) away from our normal open production space. We would need to exclude the rest of our normal production (non food contact) and just qualify /certify the area with the new machines (food contact)? Sounds like we can from the other responses.
I think that's fine. I've talked before about working for a steam sterilizer that sectioned off an area in a warehouse suite for their processing and food storage, the rest of the warehouse was occupied by a separate business the same owners had for distribution of non-food items. I had the product/people flow clearly marked on a map of the whole suite, and delineated the separate business as outside of the scope in all of our maps and documents. SQF auditor always walked the entire suite for the purposes of pest control and food defense (since rodents and bad guys don't know that area is supposed to be separate). Always had fun conversations during the walk about what the other business stored: pool chemicals, fire starters, children's toys, "adult" toys...
So long as your program addresses the potential for cross contamination at the loading docks and ensures none of the food items ever comingle into the non-food area, it's fine.