2.1 Management Commitment

2.1.1.1 Senior site management shall prepare and implement a policy statement that outlines at a minimum the commitment of all site management to:

• Supply safe food;

• Establish and maintain a food safety culture within the site;

• Establish and continually improve the site’s food safety management system;

• Comply with customer and regulatory requirements to supply safe food.

• The policy statement shall be:

• Signed by the senior site manager and displayed in prominent positions;

• Effectively communicated to all site personnel in language(s) understood by all site personnel.

2.1.1.2 Senior site management shall lead and support a food safety culture within the site that ensures at a minimum:

• The establishment, documentation, and communication to all relevant staff of food safety objectives and performance measures;

• Adequate resources are available to meet food safety objectives;

• Food safety practices and all applicable requirements of the SQF System are adopted and maintained;

• Staff are informed and held accountable for their food safety and regulatory responsibilities;

• Staff are positively encouraged and required to notify management of actual or potential food safety issues;

• Staff are empowered to act to resolve food safety issues within their scope of work.

The reporting structure shall identify and describe site personnel with specific responsibilities for tasks within the food safety management system and identify backup for absence of key personnel.

• Pass
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• Fail

Job descriptions for the key personnel shall be documented

• Pass
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• Fail

Site management shall ensure departments and operations are appropriately staffed and organizationally aligned to meet food safety objectives

• Pass
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• Fail

Oversee the development, implementation, review, and maintenance of the SQF System;

• Pass
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• Fail

Take appropriate action to ensure the integrity of the SQF System; and

• Pass
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• Fail

Communicate to relevant personnel all information essential to ensure the effective implementation and maintenance of the SQF System.

• Pass
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• Fail

Be employed by the site;

• Pass
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• Fail

Hold a position of responsibility in relation to the management of the site’s SQF System;

• Pass
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• Fail

Have completed a HACCP training course;

• Pass
• Flag
• Fail

Be competent to implement and maintain HACCP-based food safety plans; and

• Pass
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• Fail

Have an understanding of the SQF Food Safety Code: Storage and Distribution and the requirements to implement and maintain an SQF System relevant to the site’s scope of certification

• Pass
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• Fail

Senior site management shall ensure the training needs of the site are resourced, implemented, and meet the requirements outlined in system elements 2.9 and that site personnel meet the required competencies to carry out those functions affecting the legality and safety of food products.

• Pass
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Senior site management shall ensure the integrity and continued operation of the food safety system in the event of organizational or personnel changes within the company or associated facilities

• Pass
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Senior site management shall designate defined blackout periods that prevent unannounced re-certification audits from occurring out of season or when the site is not operating for legitimate business reasons. The list of blackout dates and their justification shall be submitted to the certification body a minimum of one (1) month before the sixty (60) day re-certification window for the agreed upon unannounced audit.

• Pass
• Flag
• Fail