SQF Fundamentals Verification Assessment

Embrace your business possibilities with the SQF Fundamentals Verification Assessment for Small Business – A Remote Assessment. This powerful new tool isn’t classified as a standard SQF certification program, but it introduces an innovative approach to advance food safety capabilities. 

Who It's For

The SQF Fundamentals Verification Assessment (FVA) is designed for small food businesses seeking an affordable program that demonstrates readiness to supply safe food products and ingredients to retail, foodservice, and major brands.  

Program Goals

The SQF FVA remote assessment program is not like our traditional certifications. It is designed to showcase your small business’ readiness and ability to proactively identify, address, and manage food safety risks. Ask your customer if they will accept the SQF FVA program for approval as a new small supplier. While SQF FVA doesn’t replace onsite audits that some customers may require, it offers a unique, independently verified self-assessment process that demonstrates your dedication to maintaining a safe food environment and can help you prepare for certification in the future. 

Upon completion, you’ll receive a Verification Declaration, giving assurance to your customer that your food safety preparedness was thoughtfully validated by an SQF-approved and licensed certification body. 

  • Low Cost of Adoption: FVA is 60% less than the cost of a typical onsite audit.  
  • No Onsite Audit: The site conducts an internal audit to demonstrate the site’s ability to effectively assess food safety risks and implement corrective and preventive measures.   
  • Internal Audit: An internal audit identifies improvements the site needs and the implementation timeline.  
  • Review of Results: A third-party review of results evaluates the effectiveness of the internal audit and the site’s readiness to supply products to retailers accepting this assessment.  
  • Recognition: The site is issued a Verification Declaration to promote their FVA status.

 

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Assessment Features

Here's how the Fundamentals Verification Assessment works:

  • Register for the SQF Fundamentals Verification Assessment in the SQF Assessment Database.
  • Use the SQF Fundamentals Basic or Intermediate standard requirements to document your self-assessment or internal audit.
  • Correct any non-conformance identified in the internal self-assessment prior to the remote verification assessment. 
  • Submit the self-assessment checklist to your assessment coordinator with corrections, supporting documents, and photos of the facility operations. 
  • The assessor conducts a half-day remote review of the submitted materials and provides feedback. The assessor will schedule the date with your site to facilitate preparation, document review, and remote observation of your facility. 
  • Respond to feedback to correct any outstanding major issues within 30 days. 
  • Once complete, the assessor will issue a Verification Declaration for the SQF Fundamentals Verification Assessment program. See Exhibit 1 for requirements of the Verification Declaration.  

Participating Certification Bodies

Dive Deeper Into SQF Fundamentals Verification Assessment

These videos go in-depth into the program, benefits for small businesses and lessons learned from implementation.

Answers To Questions

Click each question below to expand and show the answer.

What is the difference between SQF Fundamentals and the new SQF Fundamentals Verification Assessment (SQF Remote FVA)?
Who is eligible for the SQF FVA program?
What records and documents do I have to show?
Will I receive a certificate?
Which retailers accept the remote SQF Fundamentals Verification Assessment?
Is an on-site audit required?
How long does the process take?
What is considered a major non-conformance?
What kind of evidence do I have to provide to show correction of non-conformance?
Can I fail the assessment?