SQF Fundamentals provides the essential requirements for building a food safety management system. This program assists companies in creating a food safety culture in their facilities, including the implementation of a written plan and industry best practices.
Food safety is a critical component of a successful supplier-buyer business partnership. As a company, you need an approach that addresses the retailer's concerns.
Food retailers require a robust food safety program to protect their brand and maintain consumer confidence. To that end, SQFI (SQF Institute) has created a solution for small to medium-sized suppliers, food or primary production industries that do not have a food safety management program in place or want to take their existing program to the next level: SQF Fundamentals. The goal of the program is to help protect your brand from recall risk and meet buyer requirements by providing food safety and acceptance throughout the supply chain.
Built as a step-by-step approach, SQS Fundamentals is designed to help you integrate food safety standards into your existing practices, while creating a pathway to achieve GFSI certification.
Management Commitment: Senior management must conduct an annual review of the SQF System to ensure that control measures for hazards have been taken, as well as completing a statement affirming commitment to providing safe food and performing corrective actions supporting compliance with food law.
Control of Documents and Records: A food safety manual should be documented and maintained with documentations necessary for the development, implementation, maintenance and control of the SQF System.
Product Specification and Development: Specifications for all raw materials and packaging materials must be documented in compliance with relevant legislation and kept up to date.
Food Safety System: The facility must ensure the applicability of food safety legislation, fundamentals and plan. A supplier approval program, observance of non-conforming product or equipment, rework and product release, and a risk-based environmental monitoring program must also be observed and ensured.
Verification of the SQF System: The following must be prepared and implemented: a verification schedule that defines the verification activities, their frequency of completion, and the person responsible for each activity; monitoring activities associated with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and other food safety controls and the legality of certified products; corrective actions to resolve nonconformance; product sampling, inspection, and analysis; and internal audits to verify the effectiveness of the SQF System.
Product Identification, Tracing, Withdrawal, and Recall: Product identification, tracing, withdrawal, and recall systems must be implemented to ensure tracking during all stages of receipt, production, storage, and shipment, as well as traceability and notification of receipt.
Food Advocacy: Methods, responsibilities and criteria for preventing food tampering caused by a deliberate act of sabotage or terrorist incident shall be documented, implemented and maintained.
Training: Appropriate training shall be provided to personnel performing tasks essential to the effective implementation of the SQF System and the maintenance of food safety and regulatory requirements.
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The Fundamentals program has two codes: Basic and Intermediate. Both programs include essential food safety requirements; however, SQF Fundamentals Basic focuses on developing good implementation tools for food safety and less on documentation. SQF Intermediate Fundamentals includes all the basic code, includes implementation tools, and adds more requirements regarding documentation.
SQF Fundamentals - Basic: This is access level code for small manufacturers or manufacturers in food development. The purpose of SQF Fundamentals - Basic is to guide sites in developing food safety programs according to the following guidelines:
Based on the GFSI.
Regulatory compliance
Good manufacturing practices
SQF Foundations - Intermediate: This is the step for small or developing food manufacturers who already have a food safety plan in place, but are looking to improve it further. This program is based on HACCP, following Codex Alimentarius, and follows the guidelines:
Based on the GFSI.
Includes the Basic level + Food Safety Management System.
It is practical and accessible, containing solutions tailored to small companies and suppliers.
Globally recognized, simplifying the path to full accredited SQF certification (recognized by GFSI).
To be a solution that meets retailers' expectations and is tailor-made for small businesses.
Reduce costs with a cost-effective audit process designed for small businesses.
Seamless Communication & Service
Responsive technical support at every stage
Transparent certification process & on-time certification delivery
Exceptional service quality validated by 72 NPS score
Cost & Time Optimization
Multi-scheme audits reduce site visits and costs
Streamlined processes minimize operational disruption
Optimized local auditor deployment
Industry Leadership
30+ years pioneering food safety, organic, and sustainable standards
Comprehensive farm-to-fork certification ecosystem
Advanced technology for compliance monitoring
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