FMI Honors Four for SQF Support

SN STAFF

MELBOURNE, Australia — The Safe Quality Food Institute, a division of Food Marketing Institute, said Tuesday it has recognized four companies for their commitment to the SQF program at the SQF International Conference here.

The four companies were: Siliker Inc., NSF International, Stemilt Growers and Coles Supermarkets.

• Certification Body of the Year: Siliker was recognized for its strong support and growth of the SQF certification program globally. It is the largest certification body in North America and is active on both the SQF Technical Advisory Council and Certification Body Committee.

• Training Center of the Year: NSF International, an independent public health and safety organization, has trained more than 1,000 people on how to implement and manage the SQF standard in the past 12 months. It is recognized for its strong support of the SQF training program and for its involvement in reviewing SQF training materials.

• Supplier of the Year: Stemilt Growers was one of the first suppliers to become SQF-certified in North America. As a multi-site certified supplier for more than 12 years, Stemilt is an active member of the SQF Technical Advisory Council and the Technical Sub-Committee on guidance document development.

• SQF Outstanding Achievement Award: Coles Supermarkets is one of Australia’s largest retailers and has a long-standing commitment to SQF. It has been a resource and advocate for the SQF program with its suppliers throughout Australia. Coles continuously works with auditors and certification bodies to help improve SQF and is committed to requiring certification throughout their supply chain. It is an active participant in the SQF Technical Advisory Council and provides technical support for the development of updated SQF standards and guidance documents.

“Producing safe food is a priority for all food manufacturers,” said Jill Hollingsworth, group vice president of food safety programs at FMI, based in Arlington, Va. “Achieving SQF certification provides verification that a supplier’s food safety and quality management system complies with international and domestic food safety regulations. This enables suppliers to assure their customers that food has been produced, processed, prepared and handled according to the highest possible standards, at all levels of the supply chain. We are pleased to recognize these companies for their commitment to food safety.”

The honorees were selected based in part on their support of the SQF program, their ability to follow the SQF training protocol and their overall commitment to food safety.