Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI), a universal, farm-to-fork safety and quality compliance program that awards food manufacturing companies with Safe Quality Food (SQF) Certifications, awarded North Country Smokehouse, a family-owned, artisanal smoked meat producer with a strong history of culinary excellence, the SQF Quality Shield.
A certification from SQFI is the only one of its kind recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), and it is the only program with a food quality component added to its food safety platform. The goal of SQFI is to consistently apply standards of food safety and quality on a global level. The program includes assessment of all facets of the food-processing industry. It also helps ensure producers, suppliers, retailers and consumers that the food products manufactured in a specific facility are safe to eat and are of the best possible quality and consistency.
The SQF Quality Shield is the highest level of achievement the program offers for companies with “Comprehensive Food Safety and Quality Management Systems.” SQF certification is comprised of three levels, each with a more rigorous standard of compliance than the one before. To earn this certification, North Country Smokehouse was required to document and prove that quality actions are being taken to correct or prevent sub-par quality and inconsistencies through critical control points of production.
“We’re proud to receive the SQF Quality Shield and earn a higher degree of trust in the global marketplace. Achieving this certification is a testament to the hard work put forth by our Quality Control Department, managerial and production staff,” said Aaron Corbett, COO, North Country Smokehouse.
“The SQF Quality Shied is a tangible demonstration of our commitment to product quality and food safety, and we are proud to be considered a global leader.”
