What is SQF? An overview of the safe quality food standard and implementation guide

SQF is a food safety certification programme adopted by many businesses across the international food supply chain. The system places strong emphasis on establishing, maintaining and improving food safety management programmes, in which Pest Prevention is an important requirement for manufacturing facilities. The year 2026 is also a period in which businesses need to pay close attention to the transition from SQF Edition 9 to Edition 10.

1. What is SQF?

SQF stands for Safe Quality Food, a programme developed by the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) to provide food safety and quality certification systems for multiple sectors across the supply chain. According to SQFI, the programme is currently implemented at thousands of sites across multiple countries.

SQF Codes are developed for different sectors, including food manufacturing, food packaging, animal feed, storage and distribution, and other categories. This allows businesses to apply requirements that are more appropriate to their specific type of operation.

For food manufacturing facilities, the SQF Food Safety Code: Food Manufacturing is the key document used to build and assess the system.

2. Should businesses apply SQF Edition 9 or Edition 10 in 2026?

SQFI officially released Edition 10 in March 2026 and has provided the Food Manufacturing Code, checklists and supporting documents. However, Edition 9 remains applicable during 2026. SQFI expects Edition 10 to begin applying to audits from as early as January 2027, following completion of the GFSI benchmarking and recognition process.

Businesses undergoing certification in 2026 should therefore continue to follow SQFI’s official requirements and transition schedule while beginning to review Edition 10 in preparation for the next stage.

3. How does SQF require businesses to manage food safety?

SQF requires businesses to establish a documented system with clearly defined responsibilities and mechanisms for verifying effectiveness. For Food Manufacturing, the Code combines System Elements with GMP requirements appropriate to the manufacturing environment.

Facilities need to manage programmes covering suppliers, raw materials, sanitation, maintenance, process control, verification and continual improvement. These programmes provide the foundation for reducing contamination risks and maintaining food safety. For Pest Prevention, these requirements need to be translated into a structured pest control process with clearly defined monitoring areas, responsibilities, inspection frequencies, data and corrective actionsg.

Pest Prevention forms part of the facility’s GMP requirements and is directly linked to site conditions, sanitation and environmental management. If a facility applies multiple systems such as HACCP, GMP, BRCGS, FSSC 22000 or AIB, businesses can also review common pest management requirements across major food safety standards and systems.

4. What does SQF require for a Pest Prevention programme?

SQF Food Safety Code Edition 9 requires businesses to implement a documented pest prevention programme. The programme needs to define the methods used, implementation responsibilities and how the system is to be maintained. In practice, this requirement can be organised through Integrated Pest Management (IPM), in which prevention, monitoring, root-cause identification and control are maintained as a continuous management cycle.

Pest detection data also need to be recorded and trended to support the identification of areas requiring action. SQF requires a map showing trap locations and appropriate pest-control or monitoring devices, together with regular inspections and action when pest activity is detected. Device placement is meaningful only when the business can identify which pest species are likely to occur , where they are likely to be active and which signs should be monitored.

SQFI has identified pest prevention as one of the notable categories of non-conformities under Edition 9, including both critical and major findings. This shows that the pest prevention programme needs to be managed as a substantive part of the food safety system.

5. What records should businesses maintain?

An effective SQF programme needs to include a pest management plan, device map, inspection results, pest activity history and treatment records. If an external PCO is used, inspection reports and post-service actions also need to be managed by the business. These records should be organised so that QA/QC teams can review pest activity levels, activity history, area-based trends and preventive or corrective actions.

The data should show trends over time. If pest activity increases in a particular area, the facility needs to identify the cause and take corresponding action rather than continuing with the same approach.

For facilities with multiple monitoring points, data can be consolidated through the PestMan Dashboard for trend analysis , early warning and area-based risk mapping.

SQF also places emphasis on site responsibility. Using an external service provider does not transfer the facility’s overall compliance responsibility to that provider.

6. How can IPM support SQF requirements?

IPM helps businesses organise SQF requirements into a continuous management cycle of risk assessment, prevention, monitoring, analysis and control. Infrastructure, sanitation and attractant sources are assessed together with trap-monitoring data to identify the causes of pest activity.

When pest activity remains stable, the business can focus on monitoring and prevention. When data exceed defined thresholds or new signs of pest activity appear, the programme is adjusted according to the level of risk. If an area repeatedly exceeds the threshold or the same issue recurs after multiple corrective actions, this is also a sign that the pest management programme should be reassessed rather than continuing to repeat the same measures.

This approach is consistent with Pest Prevention requirements and helps reduce reliance on routine chemical treatment as the primary control method.

7. How does VFC PestMan support businesses preparing for SQF?

VFC PestMan implements IPM programmes according to the actual conditions of each facility, from site assessment and risk zoning to the design of trap and monitoring systems.

Data are reviewed over time to identify trends and help QA/QC teams determine where action is required. Issues related to infrastructure, sanitation or operations can be incorporated into CAPA so that the business can coordinate corrective action.

Practical application: Businesses can see how PestMan implemented an IPM system, established control zones and standardised data at an F&B manufacturing facility that reduced pest incidents by 80% and successfully passed international audits.

For businesses preparing for the SQF transition, the pest management programme should also be reviewed alongside the new requirements so that the facility is not caught unprepared when entering the next audit cycle.

SQF places Pest Prevention within the facility’s food safety management system and requires businesses to demonstrate effectiveness through the programme, monitoring devices, data and specific actions. In 2026, businesses need to pay particular attention to the transition timeline between Edition 9 and Edition 10 in order to prepare appropriately for future certification audits.