SQF certification requirements progress

U.S. egg producers are actively pursuing SQF certification for their plants to comply with customer requirements. By early 2010 most supermarket chains and club stores will require SQF 2000 certification at level 2 for plants which specify acceptable standards of safety and application of HACCP systems.
A review of the current situation demonstrates satisfactory progress although a few obvious trends are evident. Large integrated producers with dedicated personnel and resources committed to quality control have experienced little difficulty in developing SQF documentation based on their existing in-company SOPs and HACCP systems.
One large producer indicated that at least two managers have been involved for six months in developing a boiler-plate program for their entire company which will be applied to a number of plants.
Larger companies have had the opportunity to organize in-house training of their SQF practitioners minimizing cost and time. The first audits undertaken in plants operated by the nation's three largest producers have not presented any specific problems and the procedures and documentation which were developed have been applied to sequential plant reviews. The situation with smaller producers, many with only one plant has been more complicated. These operators have had to make use of qualified SQF consultants to review operations, develop documentation, train employees and prepare for audits at a cost exceeding $10,000.
A shortage of qualified instructors has emerged as a minor problem resulting in delays in attaining certification. According to Gary M. Smith, technical director of the SQF Institute, "We must be sure that auditors are well-trained and qualified and we do not intend to lower our standards." Other minor problems cited by users relate to the SQF website which is intended to function as the central repository of information for producers and customers. According to Smith, problems are being resolved and the website should be fully functional within weeks.
The SQF system offers the advantage of a single recognized certification based on a common set of standards with one annual audit. This eliminates the need to undergo numerous annual audits to comply with the requirements of different customers. Streamlining the audit process should in the long term save money and provide customers and consumers with a high degree of confidence in the safety of shell eggs. Many producers have indicated their intention to advance to SQF 2000 level 3 which includes aspects of quality
The SQF 2000 program at level 2 will in all probability not provide any greater assurance of safety than the current HACCP systems in place. A major defect of the SQF 2000 system as applied to plants processing either in-line or receiving eggs off-line is that SQF 2000 makes no provision for ensuring that supply flocks are free of Salmonella enteritidis. This aspect will effectively be incorporated in the recently promulgated FDA Final Rule on reducing the incidence rate of eggborne SE infection in the U.S. population. It is noted that many producers of branded and specialty eggs are operating with vaccination, biosecurity and surveillance standards higher than the UEP Five-Star Program.