SQF and BRCGS certification packet checklist for food and beverage QA teams
A practical checklist for pulling supplier approvals, current certificates, letters of guarantee, specifications, allergen and origin evidence, and closed corrective actions into one audit-ready packet. Built for food and beverage QA teams preparing for an SQF or BRCGS audit against the standard editions in force today.
Operational guide, not legal advice · Reflects SQF Edition 9 and BRCGS Issue 9
Build the packet an auditor will actually open
A certification packet is a defensible record, not a shared drive of PDFs. Valent helps QA teams start from what the SQF or BRCGS auditor needs to verify, then attach the supplier evidence, specification, and approval record behind each answer.
Why this matters
When the audit window opens, the scramble is rarely about doing the work. It is about proving it. A certification packet holds when every supplier claim ties back to a current certificate, a matching guarantee, and a closed corrective action your reviewers can stand behind.
A supplier certificate is in the file, but it expired before the audit window or its scope does not cover the material you buy.
A letter of guarantee exists, but it references a superseded specification or an allergen profile that no longer matches the formula.
Origin and FSVP records for imported ingredients live in procurement and never reach the QA file the auditor opens.
A nonconformance was closed on paper, but the corrective action and verification of effectiveness never made it into the packet.
Standards reference for the packet
SQF
The Safe Quality Food program is run by SQFI, a division of FMI, The Food Industry Association, and is GFSI-recognized. Sites are audited against SQF Code Edition 9 in 2026.
BRCGS
The current food standard is BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety Issue 9, and it is GFSI-recognized. Confirm supplier certificates reference the issue you actually rely on.
GFSI
The Global Food Safety Initiative benchmarks and recognizes certification programs rather than issuing certificates. Describe supplier certificates as GFSI-recognized, not GFSI-certified.
FSVP
Foreign Supplier Verification Programs apply to importers of food for humans and animals. Keep FSVP records with the supplier evidence for every imported ingredient.
Standard versions to build against
August 28, 2024
GFSI recognition of BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety Issue 9 was announced. Confirm supplier certificates reference the issue in force.
2026
SQF sites are audited against SQF Code Edition 9. Build packets against the edition you are actually audited on, not a newer release.
March 2026
SQF Code Edition 10 was released. Treat it as change-management preparation, not the standard you are audited against yet.
No earlier than January 2, 2027
SQF Edition 10 audits are expected to begin, pending GFSI benchmarking. Plan the transition rather than assuming it is in force.
Certification packet build sequence
Use this sequence to turn a pile of supplier files into a packet your QA team can hand an SQF or BRCGS auditor without a last-minute scramble.
01
Lock the approved supplier list
Start from the current approved supplier list and confirm every ingredient, raw material, and packaging supplier has a live approval record. Tie each record to the exact material and site you buy from.
Material and site scope for each supplierApproval decision, owner, and review dateRisk category and re-approval cadenceSuspended or removed suppliers flagged
02
Verify certificates against GFSI-recognized standards
For every supplier you rely on for certification, pull the current certificate and check that it is against a GFSI-recognized standard, in scope for the material, and unexpired at the audit window. GFSI recognizes programs such as SQF and BRCGS; it does not issue certificates itself.
Certificate scope covers the purchased materialExpiry date extends past the audit windowStandard, issue, or edition identified (for example BRCGS Issue 9)Certificate stored with the supplier approval record
03
Collect guarantees, specs, allergen, and origin evidence
Attach the continuing letter of guarantee, current specifications, allergen statement, and origin records to each material. Confirm the guarantee and allergen profile match the specification the formula actually uses.
Continuing letter of guarantee per supplierRaw material, packaging, and finished-product specificationsAllergen statement and cross-contact controlsCountry-of-origin and FSVP records for imported ingredients
04
Close corrective actions with evidence
Work through open findings and supplier nonconformances so each one carries root cause, the corrective action taken, and verification that it worked. A finding closed without effectiveness evidence will not survive the audit.
Root-cause analysis on recordCorrective action and completion dateVerification of effectivenessReviewer and approval for closure
05
Lock and release the packet
Before the packet leaves QA, confirm every document is current, versioned, and traceable to its source. Preserve who reviewed and approved the release so the bundle stays defensible after the audit.
Freshness check across every documentVersion and change history preservedReviewer, approver, and release date recordedKnown gaps and exceptions noted for the auditor
Supplier approvals and certificates
Every material in the packet should trace to an approved supplier and, where you rely on it, a current certificate against a GFSI-recognized standard. Check certificate scope and expiry against the exact material and site before the audit window opens.
Approved supplier list tied to each material and site
Current SQF, BRCGS, or other GFSI-recognized certificates
Certificate scope and expiry matched to the material
Supplier risk assessment and approval decision on record
Guarantees, specs, allergen, and origin evidence
Auditors trace a claim on your label back to the supplier evidence behind it. Keep continuing letters of guarantee, specifications, allergen statements, and origin records connected to the same material.
Continuing letters of guarantee referencing the current specification
Raw material, packaging, and finished-product specifications
Allergen statements and cross-contact controls per material
Country-of-origin and FSVP records for imported ingredients
Corrective actions and version control
A certification packet is only defensible if every finding has a documented corrective action and the whole bundle carries version history. Valent keeps each finding, its evidence, and its approval next to the supplier record so the packet stays review-ready between audits.
Root-cause analysis for each nonconformance
Corrective action, verification, and effectiveness check
Reviewer, approval date, and closure record
Version and change history for every document
Checklist
Before the packet reaches the auditor
Run these checks while the packet is still in QA review, not during the opening meeting.
01
Match every approved supplier to a live approval record and a certificate whose scope and expiry cover the exact material.
02
Confirm each letter of guarantee references the specification and allergen profile the current formula actually uses.
03
Pull FSVP and country-of-origin evidence for imported ingredients into the QA file alongside the supplier record.
04
Close every nonconformance with root cause, corrective action, and verification of effectiveness before release.
05
Lock the packet with version history and a recorded reviewer, approver, and release date.
Be ready before the next customer asks
See how Valent keeps supplier evidence, review decisions, and release records ready, so proving compliance never holds up the business.
