Foodservice Program

The Foodservice Program includes third-party audits for the foodservice industry, with tools to build a proactive, food-safety management system at all locations. 

Who It's For

  • Restaurants, including corporate, full service, quick service, chains, independent, and franchisees.
  • Commissaries.
  • Catering.
  • Foodservice professionals.
  • Flight services.

 

 

Program Goals

The National Restaurant Association and the SQFI developed a unique solution for those in the foodservice industry to manage food safety risks. The SQF Foodservice Program is a third-party audit focused on foodservice establishments, which provides tools to build a proactive, rather than reactive, food safety management system at all service locations.

This program incorporates food safety roles from the top of the organization down to each specific site location, with a heavy emphasis on management and creating a thriving food safety culture within the company. The Foodservice Code provides structured guidance to make implementation accessible, attainable, and easy to understand.

Developed by food safety experts in the foodservice industry, this program provides insight into the challenges and needs of the foodservice industry, but also meets the rigorous requirements of GFSI Benchmarking – making this standard globally accepted.

 

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Program Benefits

The SQF Foodservice Program benefits industry stakeholders by providing a standardized approach to food safety and quality management, facilitating collaboration and consistency within the foodservice sector. By adopting SQF standards, industry stakeholders can contribute to the overall improvement of food safety practices and strengthen the industry as a whole.

The program provides a comprehensive framework to ensure the safety and quality of their food operations and provides benefits by:

  • Creating a food safety culture and program that will reduce and eliminate food safety risks.
  • Preventing problems before they start with a proactive system.
  • Providing flexibility and allowing each site to build its own food safety system.
  • Fostering food safety culture through the role of management.
  • Providing structured guidance to make understanding and implementing food safety programs and practices easy.

Suppliers and distributors that work with SQF-certified foodservice establishments also benefit from the program. Compliance with SQF standards establishes a consistent level of food safety and quality across the supply chain. By partnering with SQF-certified establishments, suppliers and distributors can demonstrate their commitment to delivering safe and reliable products, enhancing their reputation and business relationships.

Get Started with Foodservice Program

Program Features

The Foodservice Program emphasizes the importance of supplier control and encourages foodservice establishments to implement strong supplier management programs. This includes conducting supplier audits, assessing supplier performance, and ensuring that suppliers meet food safety requirements.

  • The audit will evaluate policies throughout the organization—from corporate down to individual sites.
  • Used for internal and external inspections.
  • Options for multisites to accommodate large corporations.