..I justified not having a metal detector based on existing controls and no metal complaints going back over 5 years.
BRC subsequently changed the standard to make metal detection compulsory (unless a more effective control measure was in place).
So you're the guy who ruined it for everybody lol jk.
When I was primarily consulting with my partner, it was our job to push back on non-sense. Mostly we try to address our concerns with their perception before the report gets published, because it's a more drawn out process to appeal the findings later and it can cause a black mark on the auditor's record if too many of their findings are overturned. We didn't want that for them, but we also wanted the best score for our clients.
One SQF auditor was ready to give a client a finding for an exterior door's self-closer being broken. We had to pull up the code (11.1.5.1) which states "external access personnel doors" shall have a self-closing device. The door in question was not permitted by the plant to be used for personnel except as an emergency exit and was effectively sealed against pests. It was shown on the flow maps as non-access, it was marked with signs to prohibit entry/exit, and employee training had them effectively using the designated entrances to this storage area. The closer looked 'broken' because it had been cannibalized for parts to fix other door closers. We had told her this during the walkthrough when she saw it, to which she nodded and said okay, but then tried to bring it up back during our closing meeting and we had to argue it again with the code in front of us all.
Another one was at my first spice plant. Small time customer sends an auditor who seemed like a bored old dude, so really no one was taking his visit seriously (not even him, honestly) until we got to the break room. He informed us that a thermometer in the employee refrigerator along with a checklist for monitoring (every hour I think he claimed) was an SQF requirement. Told him, 'Nope, that's not in the code anywhere. Not spelled out in any guidance.' He told me he thinks I'm wrong but moved on in a way that I thought it was over. Week later we get the 'report' from our customer and it had this as a finding they demanded a CAPA for. Wanted to tell them to p-off, but boss made me word it more diplomatically: "We have reviewed and find ourselves to be in compliance with the SQF standard, as have our three prior SQF auditors, but will make a note to consider this during any future improvements."
My boss man has also pushed back on a critical before. Currently not consulting, we're both working where a company makes fruit and veg trays at various sites. A new tray at one site had them putting pre-packaged single servings of baby carrots into one of the bins of the tray. The HACCP states all the fruit and veg goes through a wash cycle for (I think) 30 seconds minimum. When operations started the new line, we in corp QA told them they needed to wash the little baggies of baby carrots and they did, except they half-assed it and basically were dipping the bags in the wash solution instead of allowing the 30 second dwell time. Auditor recorded that as a critical failure because we weren't following our HACCP. Boss was on site for that audit and was upset with the plant, but also upset the auditor recorded it as a critical. Yes, it was a breakdown of our HACCP, but SQF's definition of critical includes "...judged likely to cause a significant public health risk and/or product contamination". Auditor couldn't articulate how a washed bag of baby carrots could likely cause a significant public health risk, and we even agreed it deserved a major, but insisted she record it that way. We appealed and SQF agreed it was not a critical.