Escalating recurring minor nonconformances to major

Wanted to ask as I have never received a major nonconformance before.  If there is a minor nonconformance from the previous years SQF audit and there are findings in another department regarding the same issue as found the previous year, can the minor escalate to a major?  Any help would be appreciated.

No, there is no automatic minor to major.

However it is possible for a minor found by one auditor to becomw a major the following audit year.

Case in point. As an SQF Auditor I visited a plant that had some ceiling surface material that was peeling over a line containing moving breakfast bowls that were open. However they had a protection catch pan in place as they worked thur a solution.

That got a minor at the time.

Following year I go back and the ceiling is pelling with no catch in place and stuff is falling right in front of me directly into the bowls... and nobody is doing anything - ban... right to critical. It was the show stopper that day.

Thank you for the information! It was very helpful.

Hi Tonya,

 

From the SQF Food Safety Code:

 

A minor non-conformance is evidence of a random or infrequent failure to maintain compliance with a requirement but does not indicate a breakdown in the food safety management system or that food safety is compromised. It is evidence of an incomplete or inappropriate implementation of SQF requirements, which, if not corrected, could lead to system element breakdown.

 

The purpose of the re-certification audit is to:

Verify the continued efficacy of corrections and corrective actions closed out at your previous audits;

Verify that your SQF Food Safety System continues to be implemented as documented;

Verify that your internal audits, annual reviews of the crisis and food defense plans and recall

system, and management reviews have been effectively completed;

Verify that corrective and preventative actions have been taken on all non-conformities;

Ensure you have taken appropriate action where changes to your site’s operations have been made that impact the site’s SQF Food Safety System;

Verify all critical steps and the effective interactions among all elements of your SQF System remain under control;

Verify the overall effectiveness of the SQF System in its entirety in light of changes within your operations;

Verify that you continue to demonstrate a commitment to maintaining the effectiveness of your SQF System and to meeting regulatory and customer requirements; and

Ensure contribution to the continued improvement of your site’s SQF System and business operation.

 

I would expect your minor to be raised as a major if you are not closing out corrective actions that you have proclaimed to have made in achieving certification. If you have the same minor but in a different area then that probably wouldn’t be escalated in the same way.

 

Kind regards,

Tony