SQF Agents and Brokers Certification

Developed by the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI), the SQF Agents and Brokers Code is designed for businesses involved in sourcing, buying, selling or facilitating the trade of food and non-food products. Unlike traditional food safety certification, which focuses on production and handling operations, the Code addresses the activities of intermediaries that influence product safety, quality and supply chain integrity.

The Code establishes requirements across three key areas:

• Supplier approval and monitoring: documented procedures for evaluating, approving and monitoring suppliers to support consistent sourcing decisions
• Traceability and documentation: reliable records of sourcing decisions, supplier communications and product movements to improve transparency and accountability
• Risk-based decision-making: structured risk assessments and consistent criteria to identify, evaluate and manage potential supply chain risks

The Code is particularly relevant to agents, brokers, traders, importers, exporters and procurement organizations, including businesses that do not physically handle or store products.

Yes. The Code is designed for businesses involved in sourcing, procurement and facilitating trade, including those that do not physically handle or store products. Applicability depends on your organization's activities and certification scope.

Traditional SQF Food Safety certification focuses on operations such as food production, manufacturing, storage and distribution. The SQF Agents and Brokers Code focuses on the sourcing, supplier management, traceability and risk controls of businesses acting as intermediaries in the supply chain.

We recommend reviewing your current supplier approval, sourcing, traceability and risk management processes against the Code's requirements. This helps identify areas for improvement before an independent certification audit