Why Management Commitment Comes First in SQF

The Safe Quality Food (SQF) Code doesn’t begin with hazard analysis, sanitation, or process controls—it starts with management commitment. That’s because a food safety system can only succeed when leadership is actively invested in its implementation, oversight, and continual improvement.

SQF recognizes that without top-down accountability, even the most robust food safety programs are at risk of becoming check-the-box exercises. Instead, the standard calls for a culture where leadership drives responsibility, resources are prioritized, and food safety is embedded into daily operations.

With SQF Edition 10 on the horizon, expectations around leadership involvement, food safety culture, and measurable accountability are only increasing—making now the time to strengthen top-level engagement.

What SQF Requires from Senior Management

Under SQF Edition 9 (and likely to continue evolving in Edition 10), management commitment is a set of specific, auditable responsibilities—not a vague principle. These include:

• Establishing Food Safety Objectives: Clear, measurable goals tied to performance and compliance that are reviewed at regular intervals.
• Appointing an SQF Practitioner: A qualified individual with the authority and competency to implement and maintain the SQF System.
• Providing Adequate Resources: Personnel, time, technology, and infrastructure to support food safety activities.
• Participating in Internal System Reviews: Management must actively engage in reviewing the effectiveness of the SQF System and driving follow-up actions.
• Championing Food Safety Culture: Management is expected to model behavior, support communication, and maintain an open-door approach to food safety concerns.

These aren’t suggestions—they are audit criteria. Auditors routinely seek evidence of management’s involvement in key food safety activities and documentation that reflects leadership’s ownership.

How Leadership Sets the Tone

Leadership behavior cascades. When upper management treats food safety as a strategic priority, that attitude filters down to every level of the organization—from production line workers to mid-level managers. Food safety becomes more than compliance—it becomes company identity.

Actionable ways leadership can reinforce commitment:

• Attend food safety and SQF training sessions alongside staff
• Walk production floors regularly and ask questions about procedures
• Reference food safety goals during team huddles or performance reviews
• Include food safety KPIs in company-wide dashboards and reporting
• Allocate capital expenditures for needed improvements before audit findings force action

Pro Tip: Facilities that align food safety objectives with business KPIs—such as reducing customer complaints, minimizing rework, or boosting shelf-life reliability—see stronger leadership buy-in and greater cross-department accountability.

Management Reviews: Making Oversight Meaningful

SQF requires that senior management participate in formal management reviews at defined intervals, and Edition 10 will likely place even more emphasis on meaningful engagement and actionable outputs.

These reviews are not ceremonial—they are the mechanism through which:

• Goals are reviewed and revised
• Non-conformances are evaluated systemically
• Trends in complaints, supplier issues, or audit findings are tracked
• Resources for training, equipment, or staffing are planned

Registrar Corp recommends using structured templates for management reviews that include:

• Prior goals vs. actual performance
• Data summaries (internal audits, complaints, rejections, recalls)
• Cross-functional input from production, quality, and sanitation leads
• Assigned owners and follow-up timelines

Common SQF Pitfalls—and How to Avoid Them

Many facilities fall short not due to negligence, but because they underestimate the depth of involvement required by SQF. Avoid these frequent missteps:

• Leadership is disengaged: SQF Practitioner bears the full burden with no executive input.
• Objectives lack clarity: “Improve food safety” is not actionable without benchmarks or timelines.
• Corrective actions stall: Without managerial follow-through, root causes remain unresolved.
• Training lacks leadership presence: When management skips training, it sends a message that food safety is a “QA problem.”

Actionable Tip: Treat your SQF System like any business-critical initiative—budget for it, review it, assign accountability, and celebrate wins.

The Payoff of Real Commitment

Facilities that demonstrate real management commitment—not just compliance—tend to:

• Achieve better audit scores and fewer repeat non-conformances
• Build stronger cross-department collaboration
• Attract and retain top operational and quality personnel
• Strengthen buyer relationships and unlock new markets
• Reduce liability through a proactive food safety posture

In the end, commitment isn’t a policy—it’s a behavior. With Edition 10 elevating expectations, food businesses that institutionalize leadership accountability will be the ones that thrive, not just survive.