The Certified SQF Practitioner credential, created by SQFI and Exemplar Global, provides a consistent framework for food safety. Those who earn this voluntary professional certification credential demonstrate their ability to implement, maintain, and continuously improve an SQF food safety system at any site.
Companies employing Certified SQF Practitioners can showcase their commitment to food safety and quality, setting themselves apart.
The Role of SQF Practitioners
SQF practitioners are the linchpins of food safety, ensuring the food supply chain meets the highest standards. Their responsibilities, from crafting meticulous food safety plans to conducting rigorous internal audits, are pivotal in upholding the integrity of our food.
Benefits of the Certified SQF Practitioner Credential
The Certified SQF Practitioner credential offers a structured career path for food safety professionals. Importantly, the credential demonstrates a commitment to ensuring food safety and quality management and recognition of the SQF Practitioner role, competence, and supports SQF’s vision to be a trusted source for global food safety and quality certification.
For the food safety professional, this credential creates:
- Recognition: A professional path to career growth and to attract new talent into the food safety professional community.
- Continuous Improvement: Improvement of the SQF Practitioner profession, including a framework for continuing professional development.
- Career Growth: Validity when SQF Practitioners change roles, in that their skills are transferrable.
- Competitive Advantage: In competitive job markets, a globally recognized credential is valued by employers.
- Workforce: A pipeline of trusted food safety professionals to feed into the SQF auditor pool.
- SQF Program Knowledge: A natural bridge between the Code requirements for the SQF Practitioner and the SQF Excellence Award for the SQF Practitioner.
The assessment of the Code requirements for the SQF Practitioner remains part of the annual SQF certification audit and is not replaced by this credential.
- Requirements for an SQF practitioner are described in the SQF Food Safety Code elements 2.1.1.4 and 2.1.1.5.
- The Certified SQF Practitioner credential is not part of this Code requirement.
Pricing Details
- $250 USD for combined Application Fee and Registration Fee (includes examination)
- $175 USD for annual recertification after the initial year
How to Become a Certified Practitioner
For more details on how to become an SQF Certified Practitioner, see the steps on the Exemplar Global website, and to apply, register and log in to your Exemplar LINK account.
This article first appeared on the SQFI website and is published here with permission.