SQFI Announces 2026 Excellence Awards Recipients

Today, the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI), a division of FMI – The Food Industry Association, announces EAGLE Certification Group's Brian Shelton and Landmark Snacks' Emily Wagner as recipients of the 2026 SQF Excellence Awards at the 2026 SQF Unites conference in St. Louis. Shelton was recognized with the Excellence in SQF Auditing Award, while Wagner received the Excellence in SQF Practitioner Leadership Award.

“The SQF community is made up of a highly dedicated group of food safety professionals,” said Gigi Vita, chief food safety assessment officer & senior vice president of SQFI. “Our Excellence Award recipients demonstrate an unparalleled commitment to the SQF program, and we are honored to recognize them for their diligence and passion for advancing a strong food safety culture.”

Excellence in Auditing

The Excellence in SQF Auditing award is presented to a credentialed SQF auditor who demonstrates exceptional performance and dedication to the SQF program through high-quality audits, professional development activities, leadership and mentorship skills, and promotion of food safety culture.

As lead auditor for EAGLE Certification Group, Brian Shelton brings more than 15 years of leadership experience in food safety and quality within large-scale manufacturing environments. Known for his practical, solutions-focused approach, he helps organizations strengthen SQF systems, improve compliance, and build audit-ready programs that prioritize consumer protection.

Excellence in Practitioner Leadership

The award for Excellence in SQF Practitioner Leadership is given to an SQF practitioner within an SQF-certified site who demonstrates extraordinary leadership and promotion of food safety at their workplace.

As the FSQA manager and SQF practitioner at Landmark Snacks, Emily Wagner leads the development and implementation of the site’s food safety and quality programs at an NSF-certified facility producing nationally recognized ready-to-eat meat snacks. Through her hands-on leadership and collaborative approach, she has guided her team through successful SQF audits while strengthening systems that support consistent compliance and consumer protection.

FMI Foundation Food Safety Auditing Scholars

The recipients of the  2025-2026 FMI Foundation Food Safety Auditing Scholarship were also recognized on stage during the SQFI Awards Ceremony. Congratulations to these scholars for exemplifying excellence in their field and representing the future of food safety auditing.

The SQF Excellence Awards are sponsored by Exemplar Global. For more information about the 2026 SQF Excellence Awards, visit our SQF Excellence Awards page.

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