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The Safe Quality Food Audit: What Is an SQF Audit and What Is Assessed?


The Safe Quality Food (SQF) audit process can be intricate, as it evaluates adherence to strict standards of food safety and quality. This article will clarify what an SQF audit assesses, detail the process involved, and provide guidance on how to prepare for a successful audit.

By gaining a clear understanding of the SQF audit process, you can significantly enhance your preparedness and confidence, ensuring your business meets these rigorous standards and reaps the benefits of SQF certification.

What Is an SQF Audit?

SQF audits rigorously evaluate a company's compliance with the SQF Code, a recognized set of food safety and quality standards overseen by the SQF Institute. Successful completion leads to SQF certification, demonstrating adherence to global food safety benchmarks approved by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), which aims to harmonize food safety practices worldwide.

Learn more about what SQF Certification is and how it can benefit you: What Is Safe Quality Food (SQF) Certification in the Food Industry?

The SQF Code: The Basis of SQF Audits

The SQF family of Food Safety Codes (FSC) includes numerous distinct codes tailored to different types of food industry businesses. Broadly, these apply to:

While each FSC is tailored to a unique sector of the food industry, all FSCs share similar requirements based on the SQF FSC Edition 9. To review the specific requirements for your sector, you can find the most applicable code with the SQFI Code Selector tool.

There are also two other SQF codes:

  1. SQF Food Safety Fundamentals - outlines basic requirements for maintaining a hygienic production environment. This is an entry-level, less stringent guide than the certified versions described above.

  2. SQF Quality Codes - incorporates food quality into the same requirements laid out in the Food Safety level. These are not GFSI-approved programs.

Key Areas Assessed in an SQF Audit

An SQF audit meticulously examines a company's food safety and quality management systems, focusing on several crucial areas:

The SQF Audit Process

The SQF audit process is a structured sequence designed to evaluate compliance with the relevant requirements. The process involves several key steps:

1. Pre-Auditing Steps

2. Initial Audit

3. Nonconformities and Corrective Action

4. Review and Approval

5. Technical Review

6. Certification Decision

Preguntas frecuentes

How Does Audit Scoring Work?

Based on the audit findings, the site is scored and classified as Excellent (E), Good (G), Complies (C), or Fails to Comply (F). The score determines the frequency of subsequent audits. Scoring is calculated by deducting from 100:

How Are Certifications Issued?

Within ten calendar days of granting certification, your auditing body will provide the site with an electronic copy of the site’s certificate. At this point, you can share or display your certification with partners and customers. The certificate is valid for seventy-five days beyond the anniversary of the initial certification audit date. If you pass an audit against the SQF Quality Code, an electronic copy of the relevant SQF quality shield is also provided.

What Are Surveillance and Re-certification Audits?

How Long Does the SQF Audit Process Take?

The duration of an SQF audit varies based on several factors, including:

This flexibility ensures that the audit process is thorough yet efficient and tailored to the specific needs of each site​​. Working with an experienced certifying body like QIMA/WQS can help you streamline the certification process. QIMA/WQS may reduce the expected duration by up to 30% with proper justification.

SQF Audits with QIMA/WQS

With over 30 years of experience in the food industry, QIMA/WQS offers SQF audits and certification for all members of the food supply chain. Partnering with us simplifies the path to SQF certification, helping to elevate your food safety protocols and affirming your commitment to excellence in food quality and safety from farm to fork. Our SQF certification process is designed to facilitate and expedite the complex certification process and support you every step of the way.

Contact us to learn more about SQF certification or book an audit today.


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