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2.3.4 Contract Manufacturers' SQF Quality Code or Equivalent?

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mpins

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Posted 08 July 2019 - 04:44 PM

Hello All,

My facility became SQF Quality Certified back in January of this year. We manufacture low risk processing aids and we are starting to get more contract manufacturers to cover our product demand. My question comes specifically from the SQF Code 2.3.4.2.iii.:

2.3.4.2 The site shall:
iii. Audit the contract manufacturer annually at a minimum to confirm compliance to the SQF Quality Code and
agreed arrangements, or accept the manufacturer’s certification to the SQF Quality Code or equivalent;

I understand we need to audit these contract manufacturers annually or accept their SQF quality certification, but what is acceptable for the SQF Qaulity Code equivalent?

A lot of our co-mans are ISO 9001:2015 certified which is a quality management code. Is ISO 9001 an equivalent to SQF Quality?

 

Any guidance will be greatly appreciated!!!

Thank you!



The Food Scientist

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Posted 08 July 2019 - 06:52 PM

I think another GFSI recognized scheme. 


Everything in food is science. The only subjective part is when you eat it. - Alton Brown.


The Food Scientist

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Posted 08 July 2019 - 06:57 PM

This may help you:
 
2.3.4 Contract Manufacturers
 
What the SQF Code says
 
2.3.4.1 The methods and responsibility for ensuring all agreements relating to customer product requirements
and its realization and delivery are specified and agreed shall be documented and implemented.
2.3.4.2 The site shall:
i. Ensure that the processes in place at the contract manufacturer are capable of consistently
meeting customer requirements, or corporate quality requirements where applicable;
ii. Verify compliance with the SQF Quality Code and that all customer requirements are being met at
all times;
iii. Audit the contract manufacturer annually at a minimum to confirm compliance to the SQF Quality
Code and agreed arrangements, or accept the manufacturer’s certification to the SQF Quality
Code or equivalent; and
iv. Ensure changes to contractual agreements are approved by both parties, agreed with customers
where necessary, and communicated to relevant personnel.
2.3.4.3 Records of all contract reviews and changes to contractual agreements and their approvals extend to
quality records.
2.3.4 Implementation Guidance
What does it mean?
Contract manufacturers are facilities that are contracted by the SQF certified site to produce, process, pack,
and/or store part of all of one or more products included in the site’s product scope. In some cases, a
product may be manufactured interchangeably on site and at a contracted facility. In other cases, a
contract manufacturer may only be used intermittently to fulfill or supplement the site’s production.
Whatever the situation, any contract facility used to manufacture, in part or in whole, an SQF certified
product MUST fulfill the same requirements as the SQF certified site. The responsibility for ensuring that
these conditions are met is part of the primary site’s SQF System.
What do I have to do?
The site must have a documented procedure detailing how they will ensure that product in the care of the contact
manufacturer meets their customer specifications and the requirements of the SQF Code. Control quality
management system in an external facility that is under different management is not an easy task. However, the
site must ensure that facilities selected to contract manufacturer are committed to meeting SQF System
requirements. This includes management commitment, pre-requisite programs, document control and records,
adhering to specifications, food quality plans and all other quality controls.
The site may simply require the contract manufacturer themselves to be independently SQF certified, or may
choose to control the conditions in the contract facility via sampling, testing, inspections and internal auditing. In
the latter case, a verification schedule, including a sampling plan and internal audit procedure must be included.
If the contract manufacturer is processing or packing high risk product on behalf of the site, then the contract
manufacturer must undergo an audit to the requirements of the SQF Code for the particular food sector category.
The audit may be conducted by the site, or by an independent third party agency, and must be conducted at least
annually. The audit does not necessarily require certification but must confirm compliance to the requirements of
the SQF Code.
An annual SQF audit of the contract manufacturer does not replace the need for other regular checks and
inspections at regular intervals.
Any changes to customer specifications must be fully documented. Procedures must include a communication
plan to contract manufacturer(s) with changes to specification identified. The site’s procedure must include
verification that the contract manufacturer is aware of the changes to specification and that product produced
after the change has been implemented reflects those required changes.
2.3.4 Auditing Guidance
The auditor will seek evidence of the existence of a documented arrangement binding the contract
manufacturer to the SQF Code and detailing the methods by which the site confirms those arrangements.
Evidence will be sought by interview, observation and review of records. Evidence may include:
• Review of the contract agreement and procedure for monitoring and verification of contracted
product;
• Records of certification, internal audits, product sampling and testing from contracted facilities.
• Records of SQF audits of facilities contracted to manufacture high risk food.
Note: in situations where the auditor feels that there is product risk from the contracted facility, the
auditor may require a visit to that facility to confirm compliance to the Code and the agreed arrangements.

Everything in food is science. The only subjective part is when you eat it. - Alton Brown.


mpins

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Posted 09 July 2019 - 12:42 PM

Thank you The Food Scientist, but it is still unclear. Will a SQF auditor accept ISO 9001 certification for our co-man's or will they need to be audited by us?



MW1414

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Posted 09 July 2019 - 01:25 PM

Since ISO 9001 isn't GFSI benmarked, I'd go out on a limb and say it's better safe than sorry that you'd have to audit them and ensure they are adhering to the agreement between your company and theirs in ensuring food safety and compliance. 



SQFconsultant

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Posted 09 July 2019 - 03:12 PM

Normally any GFSI certification. ISO 9001 is not. Suggest you directly audit or have audits commissioned thru an auditing company.


All the Best,

 

All Rights Reserved,

Without Prejudice,

Glenn Oster.

Glenn Oster Consulting, LLC -

SQF System Development | Internal Auditor Training | eConsultant

Martha's Vineyard Island, MA - Restored Republic

http://www.GCEMVI.XYZ

http://www.GlennOster.com

 


mpins

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Posted 09 July 2019 - 04:47 PM

Thank you all for the guidance. We are auditing them because I do agree it is much better to be safe than sorry, but I wanted to make sure I was not wasting time and money if I did not need to.

Thanks again!



Charles.C

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Posted 10 July 2019 - 06:48 AM

One critical factor from an FS POV is that, afaik, your SQF Quality Certification demanded that you have also been certified to SQF's  Safety co-Code,

 

iso9001, afaik, has no equivalent, parallel, safety expectations.

 

This is one particular reason why ISO22000 was developed.


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


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Posted 12 July 2019 - 04:00 PM

SQF is a hybrid program of food safety and quality.  The food safety part is GFSI certified.  The quality part is not.  I believe that GFSI does not benchmark quality programs.

 

 

2.3.4.2 ii. Verify compliance with the SQF Quality Code and that all customer requirements are being met at all times: my interpretation is that you can verify the co-manufacturer's compliance with SQF Quality Code if you can show that ISO 9001 addresses all the requirements of the SQF Quality Code.  It does not state that the co-manufacturer has to be SQF Quality Code certified.


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mpins

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Posted 12 July 2019 - 04:19 PM

CMHeywood,

 

Thank you! That is what I was thinking but since I cannot find the ISO 9001 code (at least not for free), I do not know how to show that all the requirements are being addressed. I am slightly afraid though that eventually we will get an auditor who would disagree.



CMHeywood

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Posted 12 July 2019 - 04:26 PM

I don't have a document that compares ISO 9001 to SQF quality code.  Perhaps another IFSQN member can provide something.

 

A simple list showing the cross reference between ISO 9001 and SQF quality code might be an easy way to show an auditor that ISO 9001 certification implies compliance with SQF Quality Code.



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mpins

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Posted 12 July 2019 - 04:35 PM

That would be awesome! I would even do the work of comparing/contrasting the two codes if I could find the ISO 9001 code.



MsMars

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Posted 12 July 2019 - 05:42 PM

That would be awesome! I would even do the work of comparing/contrasting the two codes if I could find the ISO 9001 code.

 

Unfortunately ISO codes are copyright and are not available legally for free.  :(





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