Certification Programs

SQF Certification provides an independent and external validation that a product, process, or service complies with international, regulatory, and other specified standard(s) and enables a food producer to give assurances that food has been produced, prepared, and handled according to the highest possible standards.

Which program is right for me?

Refer to the chart below for a comprehensive comparison of the five SQF programs, enabling you to select the most suitable one for your business. Click on each program title to access detailed information and learn more about their specific attributes.

Food Safety Program

Who It's For	All food producers in the food industry
Why You Need It	Helps integrate robust food safety standards into your existing practices and often required for entry to market
Prerequisites	None
Program Goals & Features	Features an emphasis on the systematic application of HACCP
GFSI Benchmarked / Compliant	Benchmarked
Applicable Product Category / Industry Scopes	Primary Animal Production Primary Plant Production Aquaculture Food Manufacturing Animal Product Manufacturing Dietary Supplements Pet Food Animal Feed Manufacture of Food Packaging Storage and Distribution Food Retail Foodservice Quality
Learn more about Food Safety Program

Fundamentals Program

Who It's For	Small and medium-sized enterprises
Why You Need It	Addresses a buyer’s food safety requirements and provides solutions for businesses supplying local and global food markets
Prerequisites	None
Program Goals & Features	Protect your brand from the risk of recall Satisfy your buyer’s requirements
GFSI Benchmarked / Compliant	Compliant
Applicable Product Category / Industry Scopes	Primary Production Food Manufacturing Applicable product categories from the Food Safety Codes may also apply
Learn more about Fundamentals Program

Quality Program

Who It's For	Sites that have already implemented a robust food safety plan
Why You Need It	Uses a risk-based method such as Codex HACCP to identify and control quality threats
Prerequisites	Already implemented an SQF Food Safety Plan or other applicable food safety management standard
Program Goals & Features	Addresses process controls to monitor product quality, identify deviations from control parameters, and define corrections necessary to keep processes under control
GFSI Benchmarked / Compliant	Compliant
Applicable Product Category / Industry Scopes	Quality
Learn more about Quality Program

Foodservice Program

Who It's For	Businesses in the foodservice industry
Why You Need It	Allows you to create a food safety culture and program that will reduce and eliminate food safety risks
Prerequisites	None
Program Goals & Features	Can be used for internal and external inspections Options for multisites to accommodate large corporations Audit will evaluate policies from corporate down to the operations at individual sites
GFSI Benchmarked/Compliant	Not Benchmarked
Applicable Product Category / Industry Scopes	Foodservice Operations such as: Restaurants Caterers Central kitchens for retail-prepared foods School foodservice Hospitals
Learn more about Foodservice Program

Food Retail Program

Who It's For	Food retailers
Why You Need It	Builds transparency for customers and builds internal confidence within a company
Prerequisites	None
Program Goals & Features	Helps retailers protect their brands through verifying processes and systems, connecting corporate policies to store practices, and allowing retailers to have a third-party verified system
GFSI Benchmarked/Compliant	Not Benchmarked
Applicable Product Category/Industry Scopes	Food Retail
Learn more about Food Retail Program