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pavika

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Posted 22 December 2010 - 07:00 AM

Hi Everyone,
I am relatively new to the whole certification concept, but have been given the responsiblity of handling the SQF certification process for two food plants
of my company. Need some advice regarding where to start from and primarily what are the documentation needs for the process to impliment SQF edition6.
Also I am keen to take up a formal HACCP training, anyone has any idea how to go about it as well, as in I am looking for something on the lines of a correspondence course as I am working full time.
Regards
Pavika



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Posted 22 December 2010 - 09:37 AM

Hi Everyone,
I am relatively new to the whole certification concept, but have been given the responsiblity of handling the SQF certification process for two food plants
of my company. Need some advice regarding where to start from and primarily what are the documentation needs for the process to impliment SQF edition6.
Also I am keen to take up a formal HACCP training, anyone has any idea how to go about it as well, as in I am looking for something on the lines of a correspondence course as I am working full time.
Regards
Pavika


Hi Pavika

:welcome:

I assume that you will be the SQF Practitioner so you will need to meet these requirements:
8.2 SQF Practitioner
8.2.1 The SQF Practitioner is an individual, designated by a Supplier who is responsible for the validation and verification of the Suppliers own SQF 2000 System. The SQF Practitioner details shall be verified by the SQF Auditor at each Audit as meeting the following requirements:
i. Be employed by the Supplier as a permanent full time company employee and hold a position of responsibility in relation to the management of the Suppliers SQF 2000 System;
ii. Have completed a HACCP Training Course and be experienced and competent to implement and maintain HACCP based Food Safety Plans; (The HACCP course attended by the SQF Practitioner must be a formal structured Classroom or on-line training course in which a certificate is obtained.) and
iii. Have an understanding of the SQF 2000 Code and the requirements to implement and maintain SQF 2000 Systems relevant to the Suppliers Scope of Certification.
Note: Successful completion of the on-line “Implementing SQF 2000 Systems Training Course Exam” would meet the requirement outlined in 8.2.1 iii.www.sqfi.com

SQF have Q & A's about the program here

SQF Implementation Guide here

After training they suggest carrying out a gap analysis which can be found here:

SQF Gap Analysis Checklist here

There are many references to the documents you will require in the SQF Code:

4.1.1 Management Policy
4.1.2.1 The organizational reporting structure
4.1.2.3 The responsibility for establishing and implementing the training needs of the organization’s personnel
4.1.2.5 Job descriptions
4.1.3.1 A Food Safety Manual shall be documented and include
iv. Include or reference the written procedures, Pre-requisite Programs, Food Safety Plans and other documentation necessary ........... SQF 2000 System
4.1.4.1 Senior Management shall be responsible for reviewing the SQF 2000 System and documenting the review procedure
4.1.4.5 Records of all reviews
4.1.5 Complaint Management
4.1.5.1 The methods and responsibility for handling ...... complaints ..... shall be documented
4.1.5.4 Records of customer complaints
4.1.6.1 A business continuity plan
4.1.6.4 Records of reviews and verification of the business continuity plan
4.2.1 Document Control
4.2.1.1 The methods ......... document control shall be documented
4.2.1.2 A register of current SQF 2000 System documents
4.2.2 Records
4.2.2.1 The methods ............. documented
4.3.2 Raw Materials
4.3.2.1 Specifications for raw materials and ingredients ....... documented
4.3.2.2 A register of raw material specifications
4.3.3 Packaging
4.3.3.1 Specifications for all packaging materials that impact on finished product safety
4.3.3.2 Certificates of conformance
4.3.3.3 A register of packaging specifications and label approvals
4.3.4 Contract Service Providers
4.3.4.1 Specifications for contract services ......... shall be documented
4.3.4.2 A register of all contract service specifications
4.3.6 Finished Product
4.3.6.1 Finished product specifications shall be documented
4.3.6.2 Product labels shall be ............ approved
4.3.6.3 A register of finished product specifications
4.4 Attaining Food Safety
4.4.1.2 The methods and responsibility for ensuring the changes to relevant legislation, scientific .............. documented
4.4.2.4 Those Pre-requisite Programs applicable ........... shall be documented
4.4.3 Food Safety Plan
4.4.3.1 A Food Safety Plan shall be prepared
4.4.6 Corrective and Preventive Action
4.4.6.1 The responsibility and methods outlining how Corrections and Corrective Actions are investigated .............documented
4.4.6.2 Records of all ...........Corrections and Corrective Action
4.4.7 Non-conforming Product or Equipment
4.4.7.1 The responsibility and methods outlining how non-conforming product ............documented
4.4.7.2 Records of .................. non-conforming product
4.4.7.2 Quarantine records, and records of the handling and disposal of non-conforming product
4.4.8 Product Rework
4.4.8.1 The responsibility and methods outlining how product is reworked shall be documented
4.4.8.2 Records of all reworking operations
4.4.9 Product Release
4.4.9.1 The responsibility and methods for releasing product shall be documented
4.4.9.2 Records of all product release
4.4.10 Stock Rotation
4.4.10.1 The responsibility and methods for ensuring effective stock rotation ............ documented
4.5 Verification
4.5.1.2 The frequency and methods used to validate and verify limits those hazards associated source, storage and use of production inputs, and the application of Pre-requisite Program......... documented
4.5.1.3 The frequency and methods used to verify .... Food Safety Plans ........ documented
4.5.2 Validation
4.5.2.1 The methods, responsibility and criteria for validating Pre-requisite Programs and critical food safety limits to ensure ......documented
4.5.2.2 Records of all validation activities
4.5.3 Verification of Monitoring Activities
4.5.3.1 The methods, responsibility and criteria for verifying the effectiveness of monitoring Prerequisite Programs, critical control points ...... documented
4.5.3.2 Records of the verification of monitoring activities
4.5.4 Product Sampling, Inspection and Analysis
4.5.4.1 The methods, responsibility and criteria for sampling, inspection ............documented
4.5.4.2 Records of all inspections and analyses
4.5.5 Internal Audits
4.5.5.1 The methods and responsibility for scheduling and conducting internal audits to verify ............. documented
iv. Records of internal audits and any Corrections and Corrective Action taken
4.5.6.1 A Verification Schedule
4.6.1 Product Identification
4.6.1.1 The methods and responsibility for identifying product ......... documented
4.6.1.2 Product identification records
4.6.2 Product Trace
4.6.2.1 The Senior Management responsibility and methods used to trace product shall be documented
4.6.2.2 Records of product dispatch and destination
4.6.3 Product Withdrawal and Recall
4.6.3.1 The Senior Management responsibility and methods used to withdraw or recall product shall be documented
4.6.3.4 Records of all product withdrawals and recalls
4.7 Site Security 4.7 Site Security
4.7.1 Food Defense
4.7.1.1 The methods, responsibility and criteria for preventing food adulteration caused by a deliberate act of sabotage or terrorist like incident shall be documented
6.3.2 Training Program
6.3.2.1 An Employee Training Program shall be documented
6.3.7.1 A training skills register
6.4.1 Calibration Methods
6.4.1.1 The methods and responsibility for the calibration ............... documented
6.4.4.1 Calibration records
6.5.1 Requirements
6.5.5.1 The methods and responsibility for integrated pest management shall be documented
6.5.2.3 Records of all pest control applications
6.5.4.1 Pest control contractors shall:
vi. Provide a written report of their findings and the inspections and treatments applied
6.6.1 Maintenance Program
6.6.1.1 The methods and responsibility for the maintenance and repair .......... documented
6.6.2 Instructions to Maintenance Personnel and Contractors
i. Routine maintenance of plant and equipment shall be performed according to a maintenance-control schedule and documented
ii. Failures of plant and equipment shall be documented
6.7.1 Cleaning and Sanitation Program
6.7.1.1 The methods and responsibility for the cleaning ....................... documented
6.7.2.2 Verifying the Effectiveness of Cleaning The responsibility and methods used .................. documented
6.7.3 Purchasing, Storage and Use of Detergents and Sanitizers
6.7.3.1 Detergents and sanitizers. The organization shall ensure:
i. An inventory of all chemicals .......... maintained
iii. Material safety data sheets are provided
6.9.1 Foreign Matter
6.9.1.1 The responsibility and methods used to prevent foreign matter contamination of product shall be documented
6.9.1.3 Glass
The following preventative measures shall be implemented:
i. All glass objects or similar material ........... listed in a glass register
6.9.2 Detection of Foreign Objects
6.9.2.1 The responsibility, methods and frequency for monitoring, maintaining, calibrating and using ............... to remove or detect foreign matter shall be documented
6.10 Supplier Approval
6.10.1 Selecting and Approving Suppliers
6.10.1.1:
The responsibility and methods for selecting, evaluating, approving and monitoring an Approved Supplier shall be documented
A register of Approved Suppliers and records of inspections and audits of Approved Suppliers shall be maintained
6.10.4.1 A register of Approved Suppliers shall be maintained
6.10.5.1 Records of inspections and audits of Approved Suppliers shall be maintained
6.11.1 Loading, Transport and Unloading Practices
6.11.1.1 The practices applied during loading, transport and unloading of food shall be documented
6.12 Waste Management and Disposal
6.12.1 Dry, Wet and Liquid Waste
6.12.1.1 The responsibility and methods used to collect and handle dry, wet and liquid waste and store ...................... documented
6.13 Allergen Control
6.13.1 Allergen Control Program
6.13.1.1 The responsibility and methods used to control allergens and to prevent sources of allergens from contaminating product shall be documented
6.13.2 Risk Assessment
6.13.2.1 Those raw materials that contain allergen causing agents shall identify through a risk analysis and included on a list which is accessible
6.13.3 Receiving and Storing Raw Materials
6.13.3.1 Instructions on how to identify, handle store and segregate raw materials containing allergen...........


Kind regards,

Tony

Edited by Tony-C, 22 December 2010 - 09:40 AM.


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stsqf

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Posted 22 December 2010 - 02:46 PM

In addition to the documentation requirements, if your facilities do not meet a site requirement in Section 5 - a risk analysis must be done and documented to show that the safety and quality of your products are not affected even though your facility isn't designed or equipped to meet that requirement.

The implementation seems overwhelming but keep in mind that they want you to make it your own - and keep it simple so it is easy to maintain.

As for HACCP Training - In my experience it is a 2-day course to obtain your HACCP Certification. I would suggest asking a Certification Body or Consultant about how you can go about getting the certification in your area.

Best of luck to you!



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Cathy

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Posted 25 December 2010 - 11:22 PM

You asked where to start - a good HACCP class is important. I would start there. The better courses are 2 days long although this length is not an SQF requirement. I have helped several companies re-do their HACCP Plans after they tried to put a plan together based on an on-line class. This s not to say all on-line courses are not good -but I advocate going to class in person. After this, get to know the SQF code and do a gap assessment next. Once you start documenting your program, it is very helpful to maintain a consistent format for all of your SQF documents. Putting together this format and a document control system helps keep you organized through the process. There are many needed documents. By building yourdocument register from the early stages, you can watch your progress.


Cathy Crawford, HACCP Consulting Group
http://haccpcg.com/

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Charles.C

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Posted 26 December 2010 - 04:49 AM

Dear pavika,

All the above makes good sense IMO.

Not a SQF user myself so the aficionados who hv previously posted please feel free to correct my logic below (based on BRC) if inapplicable to SQF.

You didn't mention what field you are involved in, or if you hv experience of ISO 9001.?

Not myself a user of SQF and I believe Quality manual (QM) (eg as routine for 9001) not specifically mandatory SQF but my guess is it will still simplify the set-up to follow ISO pattern. Accordingly, if yr answer to 9001 query is "No", I would personally suggest you try and get an idea about the preparation of Quality manuals / Quality procedure (QP)manuals in advance of starting a course (many free QM downloads on the net if you search a bit, less QP ones)(also assumes course pattern matches such a route). These manuals, although depending on the products involved, can IMEX use up a lot of development time. If yr designated company already has such, this will also be a large bonus IMO and might influence yr course choice also.

Rgds / Charles.C


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


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Cathy

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Posted 27 December 2010 - 12:20 AM

SQF does require a food safety / quality manual. This can be a summary document (my preference by far!) or an actual binder or set of binders that contain your programs. I recommend a 10-12 page summary policy document which is the manual and defines how you meet each section of the code. This is done sometimes within this document or sometimes by referencing more complex programs. By setting up this document (a.k.a. the manual) you will know when you are ready for your audit because you manual will be complete and will have 'answered' every section of the code.


Cathy Crawford, HACCP Consulting Group
http://haccpcg.com/

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John Antecki

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Posted 24 January 2011 - 10:52 PM

AIB has a really good online course ,if you haven't already it is about 300 dollars, intensive and thorough, here's a link for that site
https://secure.aibon...alogNbr=11-3140



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Posted 21 February 2011 - 11:22 AM

Tony ,

U are just legend

Hi Pavika

:welcome:

I assume that you will be the SQF Practitioner so you will need to meet these requirements:
8.2 SQF Practitioner
8.2.1 The SQF Practitioner is an individual, designated by a Supplier who is responsible for the validation and verification of the Suppliers own SQF 2000 System. The SQF Practitioner details shall be verified by the SQF Auditor at each Audit as meeting the following requirements:
i. Be employed by the Supplier as a permanent full time company employee and hold a position of responsibility in relation to the management of the Suppliers SQF 2000 System;
ii. Have completed a HACCP Training Course and be experienced and competent to implement and maintain HACCP based Food Safety Plans; (The HACCP course attended by the SQF Practitioner must be a formal structured Classroom or on-line training course in which a certificate is obtained.) and
iii. Have an understanding of the SQF 2000 Code and the requirements to implement and maintain SQF 2000 Systems relevant to the Suppliers Scope of Certification.
Note: Successful completion of the on-line “Implementing SQF 2000 Systems Training Course Exam” would meet the requirement outlined in 8.2.1 iii.www.sqfi.com

SQF have Q & A's about the program here

SQF Implementation Guide here

After training they suggest carrying out a gap analysis which can be found here:

SQF Gap Analysis Checklist here

There are many references to the documents you will require in the SQF Code:

4.1.1 Management Policy
4.1.2.1 The organizational reporting structure
4.1.2.3 The responsibility for establishing and implementing the training needs of the organization’s personnel
4.1.2.5 Job descriptions
4.1.3.1 A Food Safety Manual shall be documented and include
iv. Include or reference the written procedures, Pre-requisite Programs, Food Safety Plans and other documentation necessary ........... SQF 2000 System
4.1.4.1 Senior Management shall be responsible for reviewing the SQF 2000 System and documenting the review procedure
4.1.4.5 Records of all reviews
4.1.5 Complaint Management
4.1.5.1 The methods and responsibility for handling ...... complaints ..... shall be documented
4.1.5.4 Records of customer complaints
4.1.6.1 A business continuity plan
4.1.6.4 Records of reviews and verification of the business continuity plan
4.2.1 Document Control
4.2.1.1 The methods ......... document control shall be documented
4.2.1.2 A register of current SQF 2000 System documents
4.2.2 Records
4.2.2.1 The methods ............. documented
4.3.2 Raw Materials
4.3.2.1 Specifications for raw materials and ingredients ....... documented
4.3.2.2 A register of raw material specifications
4.3.3 Packaging
4.3.3.1 Specifications for all packaging materials that impact on finished product safety
4.3.3.2 Certificates of conformance
4.3.3.3 A register of packaging specifications and label approvals
4.3.4 Contract Service Providers
4.3.4.1 Specifications for contract services ......... shall be documented
4.3.4.2 A register of all contract service specifications
4.3.6 Finished Product
4.3.6.1 Finished product specifications shall be documented
4.3.6.2 Product labels shall be ............ approved
4.3.6.3 A register of finished product specifications
4.4 Attaining Food Safety
4.4.1.2 The methods and responsibility for ensuring the changes to relevant legislation, scientific .............. documented
4.4.2.4 Those Pre-requisite Programs applicable ........... shall be documented
4.4.3 Food Safety Plan
4.4.3.1 A Food Safety Plan shall be prepared
4.4.6 Corrective and Preventive Action
4.4.6.1 The responsibility and methods outlining how Corrections and Corrective Actions are investigated .............documented
4.4.6.2 Records of all ...........Corrections and Corrective Action
4.4.7 Non-conforming Product or Equipment
4.4.7.1 The responsibility and methods outlining how non-conforming product ............documented
4.4.7.2 Records of .................. non-conforming product
4.4.7.2 Quarantine records, and records of the handling and disposal of non-conforming product
4.4.8 Product Rework
4.4.8.1 The responsibility and methods outlining how product is reworked shall be documented
4.4.8.2 Records of all reworking operations
4.4.9 Product Release
4.4.9.1 The responsibility and methods for releasing product shall be documented
4.4.9.2 Records of all product release
4.4.10 Stock Rotation
4.4.10.1 The responsibility and methods for ensuring effective stock rotation ............ documented
4.5 Verification
4.5.1.2 The frequency and methods used to validate and verify limits those hazards associated source, storage and use of production inputs, and the application of Pre-requisite Program......... documented
4.5.1.3 The frequency and methods used to verify .... Food Safety Plans ........ documented
4.5.2 Validation
4.5.2.1 The methods, responsibility and criteria for validating Pre-requisite Programs and critical food safety limits to ensure ......documented
4.5.2.2 Records of all validation activities
4.5.3 Verification of Monitoring Activities
4.5.3.1 The methods, responsibility and criteria for verifying the effectiveness of monitoring Prerequisite Programs, critical control points ...... documented
4.5.3.2 Records of the verification of monitoring activities
4.5.4 Product Sampling, Inspection and Analysis
4.5.4.1 The methods, responsibility and criteria for sampling, inspection ............documented
4.5.4.2 Records of all inspections and analyses
4.5.5 Internal Audits
4.5.5.1 The methods and responsibility for scheduling and conducting internal audits to verify ............. documented
iv. Records of internal audits and any Corrections and Corrective Action taken
4.5.6.1 A Verification Schedule
4.6.1 Product Identification
4.6.1.1 The methods and responsibility for identifying product ......... documented
4.6.1.2 Product identification records
4.6.2 Product Trace
4.6.2.1 The Senior Management responsibility and methods used to trace product shall be documented
4.6.2.2 Records of product dispatch and destination
4.6.3 Product Withdrawal and Recall
4.6.3.1 The Senior Management responsibility and methods used to withdraw or recall product shall be documented
4.6.3.4 Records of all product withdrawals and recalls
4.7 Site Security 4.7 Site Security
4.7.1 Food Defense
4.7.1.1 The methods, responsibility and criteria for preventing food adulteration caused by a deliberate act of sabotage or terrorist like incident shall be documented
6.3.2 Training Program
6.3.2.1 An Employee Training Program shall be documented
6.3.7.1 A training skills register
6.4.1 Calibration Methods
6.4.1.1 The methods and responsibility for the calibration ............... documented
6.4.4.1 Calibration records
6.5.1 Requirements
6.5.5.1 The methods and responsibility for integrated pest management shall be documented
6.5.2.3 Records of all pest control applications
6.5.4.1 Pest control contractors shall:
vi. Provide a written report of their findings and the inspections and treatments applied
6.6.1 Maintenance Program
6.6.1.1 The methods and responsibility for the maintenance and repair .......... documented
6.6.2 Instructions to Maintenance Personnel and Contractors
i. Routine maintenance of plant and equipment shall be performed according to a maintenance-control schedule and documented
ii. Failures of plant and equipment shall be documented
6.7.1 Cleaning and Sanitation Program
6.7.1.1 The methods and responsibility for the cleaning ....................... documented
6.7.2.2 Verifying the Effectiveness of Cleaning The responsibility and methods used .................. documented
6.7.3 Purchasing, Storage and Use of Detergents and Sanitizers
6.7.3.1 Detergents and sanitizers. The organization shall ensure:
i. An inventory of all chemicals .......... maintained
iii. Material safety data sheets are provided
6.9.1 Foreign Matter
6.9.1.1 The responsibility and methods used to prevent foreign matter contamination of product shall be documented
6.9.1.3 Glass
The following preventative measures shall be implemented:
i. All glass objects or similar material ........... listed in a glass register
6.9.2 Detection of Foreign Objects
6.9.2.1 The responsibility, methods and frequency for monitoring, maintaining, calibrating and using ............... to remove or detect foreign matter shall be documented
6.10 Supplier Approval
6.10.1 Selecting and Approving Suppliers
6.10.1.1:
The responsibility and methods for selecting, evaluating, approving and monitoring an Approved Supplier shall be documented
A register of Approved Suppliers and records of inspections and audits of Approved Suppliers shall be maintained
6.10.4.1 A register of Approved Suppliers shall be maintained
6.10.5.1 Records of inspections and audits of Approved Suppliers shall be maintained
6.11.1 Loading, Transport and Unloading Practices
6.11.1.1 The practices applied during loading, transport and unloading of food shall be documented
6.12 Waste Management and Disposal
6.12.1 Dry, Wet and Liquid Waste
6.12.1.1 The responsibility and methods used to collect and handle dry, wet and liquid waste and store ...................... documented
6.13 Allergen Control
6.13.1 Allergen Control Program
6.13.1.1 The responsibility and methods used to control allergens and to prevent sources of allergens from contaminating product shall be documented
6.13.2 Risk Assessment
6.13.2.1 Those raw materials that contain allergen causing agents shall identify through a risk analysis and included on a list which is accessible
6.13.3 Receiving and Storing Raw Materials
6.13.3.1 Instructions on how to identify, handle store and segregate raw materials containing allergen...........


Kind regards,

Tony



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Posted 21 February 2011 - 11:28 AM

Dear Cathy,

Would you please explain me how can i make 10-12 page summary document policy document which is the manual and defines how you meet the standard?

please please plaese!!!
SQF does require a food safety / quality manual. This can be a summary document (my preference by far!) or an actual binder or set of binders that contain your programs. I recommend a 10-12 page summary policy document which is the manual and defines how you meet each section of the code. This is done sometimes within this document or sometimes by referencing more complex programs. By setting up this document (a.k.a. the manual) you will know when you are ready for your audit because you manual will be complete and will have 'answered' every section of the code.



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Posted 15 March 2011 - 11:46 PM

After HACCP training and SQF Practitioner training (that's where you have the experts in front of you so you can ask all sorts of questions). Then, once you are thoroughly overwhelmed and confused, start networking. We talked to our sanitation chemical contractor, he hooked us up with the Quality Manager at another one of his accounts (non-competitive, they make a totally different product). This guy was gracious enough to let a whole group of us come to his facility and shared with us how he went about setting up his SQF system. I took copious notes and some of his ideas. That was where I started to understand the concept. My company hired a consulting firm to do our gap analysis and that wasn't nearly as helpful as getting an eyeful of someone else's system.

The SQF Practitioner training is good so you learn all the mandatory requirements for SQF that are not spelled out in the SQF Code, like the required registers, which Pre-requisite programs are mandatory (section 6 of the Code), and that you basically have to read every word of section 4 and have a policy or procedure for each section. Our consultant told us we had to rewrite section 4 and that was our Food Safety Manual (we were only going for level 2 at the time).

Also, go the SQFI website and print (buy?) the guidance document in addition to the code. It gives a little more detail and some examples. They also have a sample audit you can buy. Keep in mind, the certification auditor will need an answer to each and every question on that audit.

I've been the lead on getting 3 facilities for my company level 2 certified and we're preparing for level 3 this year, so let me know if you still have questions.

Good luck!



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Cathy

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Posted 01 April 2011 - 01:50 AM

Sorry I didn't see this post earlier asking about the manual. The problem may be in how I use this word. I have assised many plants achieve level 2 and 3 certification using a summary as the 'manual'. Perhaps the right word would be policy but this too can be confusing. To keep down the confusion, in the scope of the 'manual' I ensure the company explains that the document is the 'manual' and encompases or references all procedures and policies that contribute to the SQF system. The 10-12 page document addresses every part of the code either by describing how requirements are met or by referencing other procedures.


Cathy Crawford, HACCP Consulting Group
http://haccpcg.com/

Dr Ajay Shah

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Posted 01 April 2011 - 03:31 AM

Hi Pavika,

All the information regarding the SQF requirements are posted on the following website: www.sqfi.com . At least you can download material and you can prchase documentation from IFSQN to help you with the process.

Regards

Ajay


Dr Ajay Shah.,
BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, PGCE(FE)
Managing Director & Principal Consultant
AAS Food Technology Pty Ltd
www.aasfood.com




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