Food recalls and growing consumer interest in the production and distribution of their food are the reality. To safeguard the food supply and keep consumers at ease, implementing proper food safety protocols is of paramount importance for producers, suppliers and retailers. Public discussions about the food manufacturing and distribution process have become contributing factors to recent expansions of third party certification programs supplied by organizations such as the SQF Institute.
While many companies continue to turn to SQF Institute to help maximize and enhance their safety standards, there are some misperceptions regarding the role and importance of third party certification. The following article will explore the realities of SQF Institute and its certification process.
What is third party certification?
Third party certification is a verification process for a food safety system through an objectively operated standard. The SQF Institute’s certification bodies utilize food safety guidelines to monitor and evaluate how a supplier’s products are processed, prepared and handled throughout the manufacturing and retail process. The SQF Institute incorporates the latest science, research and industry best practices in their certification program and meets all the standards required by domestic and international food safety agencies and the Global Food Safety Initiative.
What distinguishes the SQF Institute from other certification organizations?
The SQF Institute addresses the needs of an emerging market of companies seeking verifiable certifications rather than traditional food safety audits. This type of certification program is a great tool for suppliers and provides quality information buyers can reference to make educated purchasing decisions. The SQF accreditation process and product quality certification system are unique to other schemes and offer added insight into the auditing process for suppliers, certification bodies and buyers. SQF users find that implementing the SQF system provides a positive return on investment in the food safety and food quality certification process.
Additionally, the SQF Institute systems benefit the entire food supply chain as they provide management solutions for primary producers, manufacturers and distributors. The organization is proud to remain distinguished from its competitors through its commitment to training well-qualified auditors, practitioners and consultants who uphold the standards and integrity of the SQF Institute systems and process.
How does the SQF Institute ensure that system implementation remains streamlined and effective for all parties involved?
While it is often assumed that implementing food safety certification systems is a complex process, the SQF Institute is constantly working to evolve and to help streamline the registration and implementation process for new users. Additionally, the SQF Institute has a knowledgeable staff of professionals who are specially trained in helping Quickfire users with their audit data management process. The support staff is on call to provide technical assistance and answer questions.
The SQF Institute’s website also includes a number of free resources and documents to support the efforts of suppliers, certification bodies and buyers in the North American and Asia-Pacific regions as they work to maintain the highest level of food safety for consumers.
For more information on the SQF Institute and its systems, please visit www.sqfi.com.
