SQF 2.1.3 iii) Scope of Certification

Hello,

We are mainly a rice, wheat and specialty grain importer. We bring these items in bulk and store, clean, sort and pack them into our brand. This will fall into food sector category# 22, processing of cereal and grains. However, we also import some other products like packed specialty tea, oil,staple flour and lentils pre-packed in our brand from Sri Lanka, India, Spain and Portugal. These items are simply stored and distributed into commerce. Sp we are packer, handler and distributor of different products. 

I am having difficulty writing the scope of certification (2.1.3.1 (iii) and 2.1.3.1 (iv), List of products covered under scope of certification in our SQF Manual.

Could someone please help?  

Thanks 

I would suggest using verbiage similar to the following. Then make sure you have a column in your Finished Products Specification Register for exempting any particular product from the scope.

[Company Name] has committed resources to obtain and maintain certification to the most current GFSI benchmarked edition of the SQF Code. The SQF certification is to Food Sector Category [##], Level [#] and applies to [all manufacturing and storage operations] at this facility for all products not listed as exempt in the [Finished Product Register].

The other option would be to use verbiage similar to the following if all products are included in the scope.

[Company Name] has committed resources to obtain and maintain certification to the most current GFSI benchmarked edition of the SQF Code. The SQF certification is to Food Sector Category [##], Level [#] and applies to [all manufacturing and storage operations] at this facility for all products [manufactured or stored] at this facility (see Finished Products Specification Register).

Thank you FSQC Biz. 

Can I choose to skip pre-packed branded products (e.g. tea, lentils and staple flours) imported from different countries, out of the scope of SQF certification and keep only cleaning, sorting and grading of grains in the scope? Will auditor create issues for having product in the warehouse but not being part of the certification?

You can exclude any products or processes from the scope of the certification. You will need to provide any exclusions to your Certifying Body in writing. Understand that just because a product or process is excluded fom the Certification, it is not excluded from the audit. The auditor is required to audit the entire premesis, even areas that are excluded from Certification, to assess any impact they may have on the products and processes that are in scope. If you are storing items that are not in scope with items that are in scope, the auditor will expect that controls are in place for both to protect the safety (and quality if Level 3) of the items and processes that are in scope.