SQFI Releases New Food Safety Code Architecture

Arlington, VA - The Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI), a division of FMI – The Food Industry Association,  today announces the release of SQF Code Edition 9 for audits, effective May 24, 2021. Edition 9 aligns with the latest Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarking requirements, helping food producers meet and exceed all industry, customer, and regulatory requirements to remain competitive across sectors.

Gigi Vita, chief food safety assessment officer and senior vice president of SQF, noted, “Companies using SQF Code Edition 9 to achieve the highest level of food safety management practices are proven leaders in the industry and trusted trading partners among retailers and their shoppers.”

 Vita continued, “We listened to our global community to ensure this edition better reflects the reality of their current business operations. Our goal was to simplify the SQF Code architecture to improve learning, understanding, and implementation of the Code requirements so that SQFI continues to be a trusted partner in achieving success.”

The new edition architecture includes, in part:

• Simplification of audit duration guidance, supporting Certifying Bodies and SQF sites.
• Improved efficiencies and accuracies to reduce time and cost.
• Recommendations for flexible technology in order to foster confidence in a modern food safety system.
• Remote activity guidance to address times of extraordinary circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In an effort to continue to make the SQF food safety management process as straightforward and understandable as possible, we collaborated with more than 300 stakeholders and global professionals to further streamline the Codes, considering more than 800 comments to Edition 9,” LeAnn Chuboff, vice president of technical affairs, SQF, said.

To assist sites with understanding Edition 9 and the enhancements for the site audits, SQFI has a series of training available, including:

• SQF Global;
• SQF Edition 9 Conversion Primer;
• SQF Edition 9: The Changes You Need to Know About; and
• A free Edition 9 Recorded Webinar Series covering the topics of Overview & Highlights, Remote Audit Activities, In-House Lab Requirements, Quality Code Changes and Food Safety Culture.

For more information and to download SQF Code Edition 9, please visit: https://www.sqfi.com/sqf-code-downloads/.