SQF UNITES 2026

The SQF community is gathering, and we invite you to join in.

March 9-12, 2026
Union Station | St. Louis

Coming Together for Food Safety

SQF Unites brings together food safety professionals, manufacturers, retailers, and certification experts from across the globe to share solutions, celebrate achievements, and explore what’s next for food safety management. Through collaborative sessions, inspiring keynotes, and peer-to-peer networking, the event connects every link in the supply chain to strengthen trust in the food we all share.

800+

Attendees

50+

Countries

25+

Years of Excellence

95%

Customer Satisfaction

Our 2026 SQF365 Elite Sponsors

Stack of three SQF guide covers, front one red and white titled “Food Safety Code: Storage and Distribution, Edition 9” with a warehouse aisle photo; two blue and yellow editions partially visible behind.

Risky or Not? Put Your Food Safety Knowledge to the Test

Hosted by Ben Chapman and Don Schaffner, the popular Risky or Not? podcast tackles everyday food safety questions with one simple promise: no waffling, no sugarcoating, just straight-up answers. Is it risky… or not?

Now they’re bringing the conversation to SQF Unites — live.

Join Risky or Not – Live! on Wednesday, March 11 | 8:30–10:00 AM for a lively, interactive session where they'll unpack real-world scenarios with humor and evidence-based insight, helping you sharpen your ability to assess and communicate risk in practical, relatable ways.

Want to play along? Stop by the SQF booth in the Expo to cast your vote on our Risky or Not Practitioner Edition meter boards, brought to you by the SQF Technical Team, where you can provide input on whether a situation is risky or not.

Ready for a warm-up? Answer four risky or not questions to build momentum before casting your vote in person at the Expo.

Think you know what's risky or not? Let's find out.

Vote Risky or Not

Why Attend?

SQF Unites is where the food safety community connects, collaborates, and creates change. Whether you’re new to SQF or leading certification programs across continents, this event delivers the insight, relationships, and tools you need to elevate your business and advance food safety worldwide.

REGISTER TODAY

Connect

Build meaningful relationships with a community that shares your commitment to safe, high-quality food.

Engage

Join interactive discussions that bring food safety challenges to life, and send you home with practical ideas you can apply immediately.

Green line icon of a person pointing at a board with two lines of text.

Stay Informed

Understand SQF Edition 10 with new guidance on food safety culture, change management, and environmental monitoring.

Green line icon of a light bulb with a bar chart and trend line inside.

Gain Insight

Discover new technologies, training strategies, and success stories that are redefining what it means to be SQF certified.

Program Highlights

2026 SQF Excellence Awards

At SQF Unites, we honor the trailblazers in food safety. The SQF Excellence Awards, proudly sponsored by Exemplar Global, celebrate individuals for their outstanding performance and contributions to furthering the mission of the SQF program and promoting food safety. There are two categories for SQF Auditing and SQF Practitioner Leadership. Nominations are due no later than November 28, 2025. Recognize a deserving SQF auditor or practitioner and nominate them today.

More About the Awards

SQF Unites Professional Update

The SQFI Technical Team will host a four-hour SQF Professional Update on the Monday prior to SQF Unites. The update is a requirement for SQF Professionals (Auditors, Consultants, and Trainers) seeking annual re-registration with the SQF program. The additional $399 fee can be added to your conference registration. Register early to save your seat!

REGISTER TODAY

Featured Speakers

Martin Fowell

Director of Auditing Operations, Merieux NutriSciences

Martin Fowell is the Director of Auditing Operations for Mérieux NutriSciences Certification LLC in Chicago, Illinois. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business with a minor in Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin–Platteville. Early in his career, Martin worked as a Quality Assurance Manager in the cheese industry and later in a regulatory food safety inspection role with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture.

Martin joined Silliker/Mérieux NutriSciences in 2001 as a Food Safety Auditor and has since advanced through multiple leadership roles, including Regional Auditing Manager and Certification Manager. In his current role, he is closely involved in auditor recruitment, training, calibration, and credential maintenance, actively participates in GFSI working groups, and continues to conduct SQF audits.

José Sabal

President/Owner, Sabal Food Safety Consulting

Seasoned food safety and quality consultant with over 30 years of global experience specializing in operational efficiency, impactful training, and compliance with rigorous food safety and quality standards. Adept at applying HACCP principles, risk-based assessments (ISO 31000), and regulatory requirements across diverse food processing industries.

Known for delivering practical solutions to complex challenges in food safety, including hazard identification, risk analysis, and control development. Skilled in leveraging analytical tools to predict and mitigate potential processing deviations.

Josh Sundquist

Paralympian and Author

Josh Sundquist is a Paralympian and bestselling author who has shared his story at events across the world. His high-energy blend of humor and inspiration motivates audiences to adopt his ski racing motto 1MT1MT (one more thing, one more time) to elevate their performance in sales, customer service, leadership, and more.