If you sell to a large grocer, a food service distributor, or a national brand, they will ask where your product is stored and whether that warehouse is SQF certified. Here is what they are asking.

What SQF is

SQF stands for Safe Quality Food. It is a food safety program recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative, the standard large food companies use to qualify their suppliers. For a warehouse, the relevant code is the SQF Food Safety Code for Storage and Distribution. An independent auditor checks the facility, the records, and the people, and issues a certificate with a level, a date, and an expiration.

What the audit covers in a cold storage warehouse

  • Temperature control and continuous records for every room
  • Receiving checks and first in, first out rotation
  • Pest control, sanitation, and building maintenance
  • Allergen and cross contamination controls
  • Recall procedure, tested, with the paperwork to prove it
  • Training records for the crew

What to check on the certificate

Ask for the current certificate, not a logo on a website. Confirm the site address matches the building your product will sit in, the scope says storage and distribution, and the expiration date is in the future. Ask when the last audit was and what the score was.