Are you concerned that the dietary products that you consume are safe and that the environment in which they are manufactured is up to a particular standard? Well, you should be my friends.
The Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program is a rigorous and credible food safety and quality program that is recognized by retailers, brand owners, and food service providers worldwide. Recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), the SQF family of food safety and quality codes are designed to meet industry, customer, and regulatory requirements for all sectors of the food supply chain – from the farm all the way to the retail stores.
More and more consumers are demanding that the products they consume meet the highest standard, not only in the ingredients but in how those ingredients are manufactured.
The SQF Food Safety Code: Dietary Supplement Manufacturing is a code of practice specific to sites in the Dietary Supplement (SQF Food Sector Category/FSC 31)
FSC31, applies to the manufacture, blending, transport, storage and packaging of consumer ready dietary supplements and/or natural health products. It aligns with North American regulations for dietary supplements and/or natural health products by ensuring sites have the food safety and quality programs in place. Simply stated you can trust that what is on their label is accurate and reflective of the product contained with the package.
Many retailers, such as Costco will not allow a product onto their shelves unless it has been certified to a food safety standard similar to and including SQF. Retailers and suppliers need this extra layer of assurance/peace of mind to know that the products they sell are safe and right for the consumer.
The science informs us that Dietary Supplements can be beneficial to your health — but taking supplements can also involve health risks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not have the authority to review dietary supplement products for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed. In Canada, this is different from Health Canada applying a Natural Product Number to the container stating that the ingredients comply to the Natural Health Products Regulations. The SQF code provides a management system framework that envelopes regulation into industry best practices procedures and control measures.
By obtaining SQF Certification, your company can satisfy your HACCP requirements while enhancing your food safety and management systems. Peripheral benefits of achieving SQF Certification include increased consumer confidence in your products, an enhanced brand and corporate image, and greater opportunities with new markets and clients.
Think of SQF Certification as insurance – that peace of mind you need to keep your business flourishing. The Safe Quality Food (SQF) code is designed to ensure quality and food safety processes are met and upheld at every link in the food chain, from suppliers, to food industry processors and distributors, through to consumers. As a manufacturer, would you not want this peace of mind.
Think about it my friends and stay safe out there.
dicentra Global Certifications is ISO 17065 and accredited by the America National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a certification body for SQF. We are based in Toronto, Ontario with auditors all across North America and have been in business since 2002. We are also one of the very few Canadian-based certification bodies.