What Is SQF Code
SQF Code
The SQF Code is a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarked Food Safety Management System standard which is recognized worldwide. SQF certification program is managed by the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI), a part of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) which represents food retailers and wholesalers and has annual collective sales of over $600 billion.
The SQF Code is a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)-based food safety and quality management system standard based on CODEX Alimentarius Commission HACCP and National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Food (NACMCF) Principles and Guidelines.
The SQF Program extends across the globe, with a community of 14,000+ certified sites in over 40 countries across 6 continents.
The SQF Program was first developed in Australia in 1995 and has been owned and managed by FMI, The Food Industry Association, since 2003. The SQF Code was first recognized as meeting GFSI benchmark requirements in 2004. In 2012 SQF Code Edition 7 replaced SQF 2000 Code edition 6 for Food Manufacturing & Distribution and the SQF 1000 Code edition 5 which was for Primary Producers.
The Global Food Safety Initiative provides a framework for assessing the compliance of food safety management certification schemes based on ‘benchmarking’ the scheme against a model of essential requirements produced by group of food safety experts. GFSI officially announced that the SQF Code 9th Edition had been successfully re‐benchmarked against GFSI Guidance Document Version 2020 in December 2021. There are a number of benchmarked standards recognized by GFSI but SQF is the first program recognized by the GFSI that is headquartered outside of Europe.
The current edition of the SQF Code (edition 9 2020) covers all sectors of the food industry from primary production to transport and distribution.
The SQF Food Safety Codes Edition 9 (level 2) are currently recognized against Version 2020 of the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements for certification to the following scopes:
AI – Farming of Animals for Meat/ Milk / Eggs / Honey
BI – Farming of Plants (Other Than Grains and Pulses)
BIII – Pre-process Handling of Plant Products
CO – Animal Primary Conversion
CI – Processing of Perishable Animal Products
CII – Processing of perishable plant productsI Production of Food Packaging
CIII – Processing of Perishable Animal and Plant Products (Mixed Products)
CIV – Processing of Ambient Stable Animal and Plant Products (Mixed Products)
D – Production of Feed
G – Provision of Storage and Distribution Services
I – Production of Food Packaging
K – Production of (Bio) Chemicals and Bio-Cultures Used as Food Ingredients or Processing Aids in Food Production
Unlike most GFSI benchmarked standards the requirements for all types of organizations in the food chain were originally covered by a single standard, the SQF Code. Organisations did not need to comply with all of the SQF Code as it has relevant sections based on SQF food sector categories.
For example SQF Code Edition 7 contained Modules for all Food Sector Categories:
Module 1: Scope, References and Definitions
Module 2: SQF System Elements
Module 3: Animal Feed Safety Fundamentals – Good Manufacturing Practices for Animal Feed Production
Module 4: Pet Food Safety Fundamentals – Good Manufacturing Practices for Processing of Pet Food Products
Module 5: Food Safety Fundamentals – Good Agricultural Practices for Farming of Animal Products
Module 6: Food Safety Fundamentals – Good Aquaculture Practices for Farming of Fish
Module 7: Food Safety Fundamentals – Good Agricultural Practices for Farming of Plant Products
Module 7H: Food Safety Standard – Good Agriculture Practices for Farming of Plant Products (This module incorporated the Harmonized Produce Standards whose development was facilitated by United Fresh)
Module 8: Food Safety Fundamentals – Good Agricultural Practices for Farming of Grains and Pulses
Module 9: Food Safety Fundamentals – Good Manufacturing Practices for Pre-processing of Animal Products
Module 10: Food Safety Fundamentals – Good Manufacturing Practices for Pre-processing of Plant Products
Module 11: Food Safety Fundamentals – Good Manufacturing Practices for Processing of Food Products
Module 12: Food Safety Fundamentals – Good Distribution Practices for Transport and Distribution of Food Products
Module 13: Food Safety Fundamentals – Good Manufacturing Practices for Production of Food Packaging
Module 14: Food Safety Fundamentals – Good Manufacturing Practices for Food Brokers and Agents
Module 15: Food Safety Fundamentals: – Good Manufacturing Practices for Food Catering, Wholesale and Retail
Module 16: Requirements for SQF Multi-site Programs Managed by a Central Site
From SQF Edition 8 onwards a separate code was published for food manufacturing, food packaging, primary production, retail and storage and distribution.
The SQF Code Edition 9 covers a broad range of categories, overall there are over 30 Food Sector Categories defined ranging from FSC 1 Production, Capture, and Harvesting of Livestock and Game Animals, and Apiculture to FSC 34 Animal Feed Manufacturing.
For Edition 9 of the SQF Food Safety Code there was further diversification of the SQF Codes published. For example Food Safety Code: Aquaculture Edition 9 for organizations in Food Sector Category 6 Intensive Farming of Seafood includes Module 2: System elements and Module 6: GAP for farming of seafood. For Food Manufacturers the SQF Food Safety Code: Food Manufacturing Edition 9 is applicable and organizations need to comply with Module 2: System elements and Module 11: GMP for processing of food products. Nearly half of the Food Sector Categories fall under SQF Food Safety Code: Food Manufacturing Edition 9.
Food Safety Code: Food Manufacturing Edition 9 Food Sector Categories:
10 Dairy Food Processing
11 Honey Processing
12 Egg Processing
13 Bakery and Snack Food Processing
14 Fruit, Vegetable, and Nut Processing, and Fruit Juices
15 Canning, UHT, and Aseptic Operations
16 Ice, Drink, and Beverage Processing
17 Confectionery Manufacturing
18 Preserved Foods Manufacturing
19 Food Ingredient Manufacturing
20 Recipe Meals Manufacturing
21 Oils, Fats, and the Manufacturing of Oil or Fat-based Spreads
22 Processing of Cereal Grains
25 Repackaging of Products Not Manufactured On Site
33 Food Processing Aids Manufacturing
So there are a range of food sector categories related to food production and preparation including primary production, capture and harvesting, growing and production, packhouse operations, processing and manufacturing.
Primary Production FSCs
FSC 1 Production, Capture, and Harvesting of Livestock and Game Animals, and Apiculture
FSC 2 Indoor Growing and Harvesting of Fresh Produce and Sprouted Seed Crops
FSC 3 Growing and Production of Fresh Produce and Nuts
FSC 4 Fresh Produce, Grain, and Nut Packhouse Operations
FSC 5 Extensive Broad Acre Agricultural Operations
FSC 6 Intensive Farming of Seafood
Manufacturing and Packaging FSCs
FSC7 Slaughtering, Boning, and Butchery
FSC 8 Manufactured Meats and Poultry
FSC 9 Seafood Processing
FSC 10 Dairy Food Processing
FSC 11 Honey Processing
FSC 12 Egg Processing
FSC 13 Bakery and Snack Food Processing
FSC 14 Fruit, Vegetable, and Nut Processing, and Fruit Juices
FSC 15 Canning, UHT, and Aseptic Operations
FSC 16 Ice, Drink, and Beverage Processing
FSC 17 Confectionary Manufacturing
FSC 18 Preserved Foods Manufacturing
FSC 19 Food Ingredient Manufacturing
FSC 20 Recipe Meals Manufacturing
FSC 21 Oils, Fats, and the Manufacturing of Oil or Fat-based Spreads
FSC 22 Processing of Cereal Grains
FSC 25 Repackaging of Products not Manufactured On-site
FSC 27 Manufacture of Food Packaging
FSC 31 Supplements Dietary Manufacturing
FSC 32 Pet Food Manufacturing
FSC 33 Food Processing Aides Manufacturing
FSC 34 Animal Feed Manufacturing
Other Operations FSCs
FSC 23 Food Catering and Foodservice
FSC 24 Food Retailing
FSC 26 Storage and Distribution
The is a wide range of categories for the processing and manufacture of food products based on the type of food and then there are other sector categories including transport and distribution of food products, food wholesaling and manufacture of other food related items such as dietary supplements, pet food, agricultural chemicals, animal feed and food sector packaging.
In order to achieve certification all organizations need to Module 2: SQF System Elements of the SQF code then depending on the food sector category comply with Good Practices defined in other relevant modules such as Good Agricultural Practices for Farming, Good Manufacturing Practices, Good Aquaculture Practices for Farming of Fish or Good Distribution Practices. Normally an organisation will need to comply with the SQF System Elements and one of the Food Safety Fundamentals modules although there are occasions when more than one will be applicable for instance when an organisation has primary production and food processing.
There are mandatory Elements in SQF Code Module 2 that must be complied with in order to achieve certification; these are summarized in the table below:
| SQF Mandatory Elements /Clauses | |
| Management Responsibility 2.1.1 | Validation and Effectiveness 2.5.1 |
| Management Review 2.1.2 | Verification Activities 2.5.2 |
| Complaint Management 2.1.3 | Corrective and Preventative Action 2.5.3 |
| Food Safety & Quality Management System 2.2.1 | Internal Audits and Inspections 2.5.4 |
| Document Control & Records 2.2.2/3 | Product Identification & Product Trace 2.6.1/2 |
| Approved Supplier Program 2.3.4 | Product Withdrawal and Recall 2.6.3 |
| Food Legislation 2.4.1 | Food Defense Plan 2.7.1 |
| Good Manufacturing Practices 2.4.2 | Food Fraud 2.7.2 |
| Food Safety Plan 2.4.3 | Allergen Management 2.7.1 |
| Product Release 2.4.7 | Training Program 2.8.1 |
| There are no mandatory elements in the SQF Quality Code. The mandatory elements that apply in the SQF Food Safety Codes are implemented and audited only if applicable in the SQF Quality Code. | |
In the table you will see that the SQF Quality Code is mentioned, this is because certification to the SQF code is at three levels:
- SQF Fundamentals Code, is designed for small food businesses seeking a simplified and streamlined approach to food safety and quality management was developed using the GFSI Global Markets toolkit.
- SQF Food Safety Code for sites that wish to be certified to a recognized GFSI benchmarked standard. These SQF Food Safety Codes require the application of a risk-based approach using CODEX HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) Principles, documented Food Safety Plans and compliance with the SQF Codes System Elements and the relevant Good Practice Modules.
- SQF Quality Code where sites are required to have an established Food Safety Management System and have moved on to effectively monitor and control food quality-related risks based on documented Food Quality Plans. Sites seeking to attain certification to the SQF Quality Code must be certified to the applicable SQF Food Safety Code for their industry sector.
Note: SQF Fundamentals Code and the SQF Quality Code are not benchmarked by GFSI.
Unlike some GFSI benchmarked standards, the SQF code and practical guidance documents are free, this means you can review the SQF Code and decide if it suits your organisation without any financial outlay. In addition to this the SQFI have Licensed Training Centers which offer SQF related training courses including:
- Implementing SQF Systems
- Implementing SQF Fundamentals
- Advanced SQF Practitioner
- Implementing the SQF Quality Code
- Auditing the SQF Code Requirements
Being recognized by GFSI, the SQF Code and SQF Certification are widely accepted by retailers, foodservice providers and regulatory authorities around the world. SQFI also provides online access to a list of suppliers which buyers can access and identify relevant SQF certified suppliers.