SQF Product Certification? True or False?

Greetings:

**Warning: Apologies in advanced if this is a foolish question**

I have inherited a regulatory request regarding The SQF Program from, one of our sales representatives. There have been a lot of considerations when choosing our future standards; however, we are currently recognized and certified via GFSI (BRC).

Question: “Do you know if we can make a product SQF certified?”

I am under the impression that SQF is Facility accredited and not product-by-product. I have been asked by my company to generate a response, but would like to confirm first as I am ~ 75% confident on how to respond.

Does anyone have a proper way to respond?

I appreciate any feedback you may have to offer! Thanks in advance.

Warmest Regards,

PB

If your company is BRC certified you shouldn't need to be SQF certified. From the GFSI website:

A scheme is ‘recognised’ by GFSI when it meets internationally recognised minimum food safety requirements, developed by multi stakeholders, which are set out in the GFSI Guidance Document Sixth Edition.

The status of recognition is achieved through a comprehensive benchmarking process. An independent committee, including an independent chairman, a retailer, a manufacturer or producer and the GFSI secretariat is convened to conduct a preliminary screening of the application. If the application is accepted, then it will be reviewed in further detail by the Benchmarking Committee. At this point, the scheme owner will be invited to participate in the deliberations. Once the Benchmarking Committee is satisfied that the application meets the requirements of GFSI, a written consultation period will ensue with the Benchmarking Committee. The benchmarking committee will recommend that the GFSI Board either accept, reject or reject until further modifications to the scheme are made. The Board will review the documentation and make its decision. Once the GFSI Board of Directors has granted formal recognition to a standard, this standard is deemed to meet all of the requirements in the Guidance document.

1. Contact the GFSI recognised scheme owners (see details on www.mygfsi.com under ‘Contact Us’) to determine which of the schemes fits best with the type of manufacturing activities that your company carries out.
2. Request an approved list of certification bodies who can carry out audits against their schemes OR
3. Contact your preferred certification body and find out against which GFSI recognised scheme they can offer an audit.

This system provides a high degree of confidence that food safety management systems are adequately designed, implemented and maintained. Furthermore, suppliers can benefit from the concept of “once certified, accepted everywhere”, as the certificates gained from an audit to any GFSI recognised scheme are accepted by many international and regional/national retailers or suppliers. Suppliers also benefit from a reduction in the number of audits.

• Intervene in retailer or supplier policy

• Make policy for standard owners

• Undertake certification/accreditation activities

Many retailers around the world have adopted the GFSI principles and will accept the suppliers they work with to be certified against any GFSI recognised scheme. GFSI's ultimate aim is to truly achieve the 'once certified, accepted everywhere' approach, whereby a facility being certified against ANY of the GFSI-recognised schemes would then be accepted by each and every buying company clients.

Per the previous reply, GFSI recognizes a number of different food safety standards:  http://www.mygfsi.co...ecognition.html.  BRC, SQF, FSSC, etc.

If you are BRC certified, you do not need to be SQF certified as well, assuming your customer is reasonable.  It may take some educating of your sales staff and/or customer.  You can't afford the time and money it would take to maintain both BRC and SQF certification.

You are correct - SQF is facility certification, not product-by-product.

Thank you very much for your feedback.

Yes, we definitely need an education session for our sales staff.

I am still fairly new to the company and have tried to suggest some training webinars for our sales staff to participate in, but there is a HUGE push back and unwillingness from upper management.

Extremely frazzled and disheartened. Wonder if this is a common battle?

Interestingly enough there are a number of companies that becoming dual certified in SQF and BRC or IFS and BRC, or SQF and IFS, etc, etc.

In answer to main question - you don't get products certified, basically your system is certified.

Interestingly enough there are a number of companies that becoming dual certified in SQF and BRC or IFS and BRC, or SQF and IFS, etc, etc.

 

In answer to main question - you don't get products certified, basically your system is certified.

Dual certifications are almost certainly down to different customers having different certification requirements. Certification bodies can do a combination of audits so it isn't necessarily double the cost.

Key additions to the SQF Code found in edition 7.2 include:
• Inclusion of all products produced on site in the scope of certification

Per the previous reply, GFSI recognizes a number of different food safety standards:  http://www.mygfsi.co...ecognition.html.  BRC, SQF, FSSC, etc.

 

If you are BRC certified, you do not need to be SQF certified as well, assuming your customer is reasonable.  It may take some educating of your sales staff and/or customer.  You can't afford the time and money it would take to maintain both BRC and SQF certification.

 

You are correct - SQF is facility certification, not product-by-product.

But SQF, and I am assuming BRC, does allow you to use their symbol on your packaging. Maybe this is what the question was referring to?

You can use the "SQF seal" on your product ONLY if your facility becomes SQF Level 3 certified. There a lot of rules towards using their seal. Also, the "what if" factor comes into play. If you lose your certification, you will need to change all of your packaging.

I like what someone on  her said. Many people don't know what SQF, BRC, ISO, IFS is. Someone would trust more a product that said FDA certified or CFIA certified etc.

I think the SQF seal was what your sales person was referring to.