Globalization has completely changed the food supply chain. It has given many companies a whole world of opportunities, but with those opportunities come more risks. Retailers and consumers are demanding the highest levels of quality, safety, and responsibility from companies. They expect companies they partner with to follow all the regulatory standards.
The SQF (Safe Quality Food) Institute is a trusted partner for recognizing the safety and quality of your services, products, and processes. SQFI is a division of FMI, an organization that is dedicated to food and safety and ensuring companies are up to these rigorous standards.
What is FMI?
The food industry association, FMI, works on behalf of the entire industry to advance a healthier, safer, and more efficient consumer food supply chain. FMI brings together a wide variety of members across the value chain — including retailers that sell to consumers, producers that supply food and other related products, and the wide range of companies providing critical services with the goal of amplifying the collective work of the food supply chain industry.
What is SQFI?
SQFI or Safe Quality Food Institute was established within FMI to administer the SQF Program. Its mission is to deliver consistent, globally acknowledged food safety and quality certification programs. The programs are built based on sound scientific principles and are valued by all stakeholders.
Achieving SQF certification is a public announcement that a company has committed to food safety and quality. Because of SQF's strict "farm-to-fork" quality codes and standards, achieving this certification allows those involved in any part of the food supply chain to show their customers that their product meets the highest levels of safety and quality. This includes overwrapping items such as children's prizes inside cereal or fast food meals. It demonstrates that food quality and safety controls have been implemented and then validated within that facility–and throughout the entire supply chain.
SQF Code Edition 9
Several primary and manufacturing industries now have dedicated Codes in place to provide a more specific set of requirements and risk assessments. All enhancements of the SQF Codes are to build a better overall experience for partners and consumers that adds even more value to SQF certification.
SQF Code Edition 9 integrates food safety culture as a requirement, reflecting the new Global Food Strategy Initiative, or GFSI, requirement of the same nature. While food safety culture has always been at the forefront of the SQF Program, it is now auditable. Therefore, how a manufacturer displays a culture of food safety, including its training of employees, documentation, and other resources will be evaluated by auditors.
IPI Achieves a 9.0 Rating for SQF
International Packaging Incorporated has been SQF certified since June of 2020 but has recently achieved a 9.0 rating, receiving an Excellent rated score of 99 out of 100, meaning we meet all the requirements and expectations of SQF Edition 9.
Learn more about the advantages of partnering with an SQF certified company.
