Understanding the SQF Food Safety Code is the first step towards achieving SQF certification.

This webinar will provide practical guidance for SQF practitioners and food safety professionals who are responsible for implementing, maintaining and improving food safety systems.

Attendees will gain insights into aligning existing programs with SQF Edition 10 requirements, strengthening food safety culture and identifying practical actions to support ongoing compliance and continuous improvement.

In this webinar, you’ll learn how to:

Align existing food safety programs with the SQF Food Safety Code
Understand how SQF programs work together to support a strong food safety culture
Identify practical actions to strengthen your SQF food safety system

Target audience

This webinar is designed for SQF practitioners and food safety professionals responsible for developing, maintaining, verifying and improving site food safety systems and supporting a strong food safety culture.

Watch the webinar on demand or scroll down for key takeaways.

Watch on demand

Key takeaways

1. Prep Before Panic: Start prepping now because SQF Edition 10 audits are planned to switch for certification audits from 2 Jan 2027 and waiting until then is like starting a diet after dessert.

2. Change Control Actually: Build a simple but real change-management process (new raw materials, equipment, suppliers, process tweaks, emergency changes) because “we changed it and hoped for the best” is not a food safety strategy.

3. Vertical Audit Reality: Expect auditors to go full detective with the new vertical audit approach - tracking one product end-to-end (records, traceability, mass balance, floor checks) so your paperwork and your reality need to be best friends.

4. Risk Over Scores: Shift your KPI mindset from “protect the score” to “reduce the risk” because Edition 10 adds risk-weighted core clauses (minor = 2 points off, major = 7) and replaces the old Excellent/Good/Comply labels with certification status outcomes.

5. Prevent, Prove, Notify: Strengthen prevention muscle by doing proper root-cause analysis (not just “retrained staff”), using risk-based environmental monitoring and notifying SQF and your certification body within 24 hours of a recall - because surprises are for birthdays, not auditors.

About SGS

SGS is the world’s leading Testing, Inspection and Certification company. We operate a network of over 2,500 laboratories and business facilities across 115 countries, supported by a team of over 100,000 dedicated professionals. With more than 145 years of service excellence, we combine the precision and accuracy that define Swiss companies to help organizations achieve the highest standards of quality, compliance and sustainability.

Our brand promise – when you need to be sure – underscores our commitment to trust, integrity and reliability, enabling businesses to thrive with confidence. We proudly deliver our expert services through the SGS name and a portfolio of trusted specialized brands, including Applied Technical Services, Brightsight, Bluesign and Nutrasource.

SGS is publicly traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol SGSN (ISIN CH1256740924, Reuters SGSN.S, Bloomberg SGSN SW).