By LeAnn Chuboff
The upcoming release of SQF Edition 10 marks one of the most comprehensive updates to the Safe Quality Food program in recent years. Developed with extensive input from retailers, manufacturers, auditors, and food safety experts, this new Edition strengthens the connection between certification and real-world food safety performance.
As a division of FMI, The Food Industry Association, SQFI and SQF certification are recognized by retailers and food service providers around the world. More than 14,000 sites in 40 countries are currently certified to the SQF Code, making it one of the most widely trusted food safety programs in the global supply chain. For retailers, SQF certification signals that a supplier meets rigorous, consistent, and verifiable food safety requirements.
What’s new in Edition 10
Edition 10 introduces several scoring and methodology changes that make the program more risk-focused and improvement-oriented. Key updates include:
- Core clauses. These are specific requirements that are fundamental to preventing food safety failures. Examples include management commitment, allergen management, sanitation, and environmental monitoring. Nonconformances in these areas carry more weight in the audit process because they represent the greatest potential risk to product safety and brand trust.
- Risk-based maturity model. The audit process places greater emphasis on the type and severity of nonconformances rather than solely on a numerical score. This provides a clearer picture of how a site manages risk over time.
- Improved consistency. Guidance for auditors and certification bodies has been strengthened to improve reliability, transparency, and comparability of audit results across sites and regions.
Why this matters to retailers
For retailers, these changes provide more actionable insights into supplier performance. By focusing on the most critical risk areas and requiring timely corrective action, Edition 10 helps ensure that certification is a meaningful measure of a site’s food safety culture.
Retailers can also take advantage of the improved SQF Certified Site Directory to verify certificates, find new suppliers, source ingredients, and track certification statuses in real time. This makes it easier to maintain a trusted supplier base and respond quickly to sourcing needs.
The bottom line
SQF Edition 10 reflects the food industry’s shared goal of building a safer, more transparent, and more resilient supply chain. For retailers, it offers a stronger foundation for supplier relationships and greater confidence in the products on your shelves.
Need guidance navigating these changes? SQFI is offering an SQF Edition 10 conversion course to help sites transition with confidence.
About the author
LeAnn Chuboff is the Vice President of Technical Affairs at SQFI.
This article first appeared on SQFI’s website and is published here with permission.