By LeAnn Chuboff, Vice President, Technical Affairs, SQFI
SQF Food Safety Code Edition 10 is now available, and it marks more than a routine update to the Code. It introduces a
fully digitized experience designed to help sites, auditors, and stakeholders navigate requirements with greater clarity and precision.
The starting point is the new Code Selector. Instead of guessing which Code applies or downloading multiple PDFs to sort it out, users can now go directly to the interactive tool and identify the correct Code based on their scope and activities. The experience is intuitive, structured, and built to reduce ambiguity from the outset.
Edition 10 reflects extensive industry input and aligns with evolving risk expectations, including measurable food safety culture requirements and a revised scoring model that better weighs systemic controls. If you have followed our recent discussion on food safety culture as a measurable risk, you have already seen how Edition 10 elevates expectations around management commitment, environmental monitoring, and preventative controls.
We also know that one of the most common questions right now is, which Edition should I be using? We have addressed that directly with a clear guidance page that walks sites through timing and transition considerations: Which Code Edition Should I Use?
The shift to a digital-first Code is intentional. It supports faster updates, improved navigation, and multiple languages . It also aligns with how professionals actually work today. On screen, searchable, cross-referenced, and structured for real-world application.
That said, if you are someone who prefers to annotate margins, flag pages, loves a big binder, and spreads documents across a conference table, you can still print the Code. We will not take highlighters away from anyone. The difference is that printing is now a choice, not a necessity. Still, we know you will have questions, so we’ve created this Edition 10: FAQ page to support.
Edition 10 is built to strengthen audit credibility, reinforce food safety culture, and provide clearer signals around risk. It is also designed to make your interaction with the Code more efficient from the first click.
Start with the Code Selector. Then explore Edition 10 in the format that works best for you.
As we move toward the launch of SQF Edition 10 in early March, one message is clear. Food safety is no longer evaluated only through programs, procedures, and records.
With the release of Edition 10, SQF Unites 2026 is the perfect place for the food safety community to collaborate, ask questions, and learn from the experts who shaped the Code.
The Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) is proud to recognize six outstanding professionals as finalists for the 2026 SQF Excellence Awards, with our presenting partner, Exemplar Global.