SQF

Who has to comply

Voluntary, but required by most major US retailers, foodservice distributors, and many manufacturers of their suppliers. Certification is site-specific and module-specific.

What the assessor asks to see

SQF practitioner appointment and training; food safety policy, objectives, and management review; food safety plan (HACCP) with validation; prerequisite programs mapped to the relevant module; document and record control; specifications for raw materials, packaging, and finished products; supplier approval and monitoring; traceability and mock recall results; crisis management plan; food defense and food fraud assessments and plans; allergen management; environmental monitoring program and results; sanitation procedures and verification; pest control; calibration; training records and food safety culture plan; internal audit and corrective action records; previous audit report and closed corrective actions; product labeling controls; where the Quality Code is included, quality plan and process capability records.

Where the requirement sits: SQF Code system elements 2.1 (management commitment, policy), 2.2 document control and records, 2.9 training

Edition 10 transition

SQFI published SQF Edition 10 in early March 2026 after delaying it to align with the updated GFSI benchmarking timeline. SQFI has said Edition 10 audits could begin as early as January 2027, roughly nine months after publication, with Edition 9 remaining the audit basis until then.

Sites should confirm the mandatory switch-over date on the SQFI site and with their certification body, and plan to update the food safety plan, food safety culture elements, and any module-specific changes before their first Edition 10 audit.