9 replies to this topic

[BGAQA]

I am re-examining our food safety and quality systems. Our site has been BRCGS for 4-5 years now we get consistently good audit results.

 

I was talking with an auditor and they were saying they prefer SQF over BRCGS as BRCGS is prescriptive, whereas SQF is more general.

 

Personally, I like the prescriptive nature of BRCGS as everything is black and white (though at times painfully so). However, I think I owe it to the company to consider other options and looking at our vendors most are SQF.

 

First step will be to get a copy of the standard, but I was interested in your experiences with SQF, good and bad.

 

Thanks. 

 

 

[Scampi]

The standard is freely available here:

 

https://www.sqfi.com...d-manufacturing

 

In Canada, I find the code easily workable, easy to align with your regulatory requirements as well.  I would not switch to BRC for 1 reason-----the unannounced audit window is too big!  SQF is only 60 days

[jfrey123]

I started in SQF and tend to prefer it due to familiarity.  All of the GFSI codes are supposed to be fulfilling the same goal, they just go about it in different ways.  SQF is said to be extremely document heavy, and that is my perception:  If you don't have a written record of something being done, then it wasn't done.  I hear other codes like BRC are less reliant on documentation.  Random example I can think of for discussion's sake is trash removal:  In SQF, if you don't have a form initialed that a trash can was emptied on x date, then you can't claim it was emptied on that date.  

[kingstudruler1]

I  have done / do both.   I agree that brcgs is more prescriptive.   I definetly would not say one is more difficult than the other.   They both have some quirks.  

Id hate to make a change unless there was something like scampis suggestion of the audit window that was causing grief.   

[ChristinaK]

I've worked with both. These are just a couple of my thoughts based on my experience:

• I think SQF is better for smaller operations. My frequent example is that BRCGS states for internal auditing, if you cannot avoid auditing your own department/work, use a third-party service, whereas SQF states to try avoiding auditing your own department/work whenever possible.
• You can easily, without making an account or being a certified site, obtain a copy of the SQF code and guidance documents via SQFI's website. Cannot simply do that for BRCGS.
• The physical copy of the BRCGS code is as expensive as a textbook, and the free PDF you can get from the BRCGS store doesn't allow you to copy the text. You cannot buy a printed copy of SQF Code, but you can easily print it out at your site or an office/print/copy shop. You can highlight and copy the text in the SQF Code PDF.

There are other small differences, but these were the ones that stand out most to me--as well as the unannounced audit window like Scampi mentioned.

[BGAQA]

Thanks everyone for your experiences. I'll download the code and read it for myself, now I know it is accessible, that is a big help.

[Marshenko]

This is true.

120 days is ridiculous, and with two locations, I am now basically chained to my desk unable to take any time off for 1/4 of 2/3 of years lol.  

Our CB even made us use a couple of our "black-out" dates for one facility during our announced audit at the other facility this year because, "they couldn't guarantee both audits wouldn't take place at the same time."

 

Poop, poop I say.  Actually going to get a quote on switching over to SQF after this last one is done.

The standard is freely available here:

 

https://www.sqfi.com...d-manufacturing

 

In Canada, I find the code easily workable, easy to align with your regulatory requirements as well.  I would not switch to BRC for 1 reason-----the unannounced audit window is too big!  SQF is only 60 days

[Marshenko]

Yeah, that's a quirky little pain in the butt re: BRCGS.

 

One thing that would definitely be unethical is to put the free version of the BRCGS code through a third-party software/application that unlocks it to allow for printing or editing.  I definitely would not recommend doing this at all    

 

 

 

I've worked with both. These are just a couple of my thoughts based on my experience:

• I think SQF is better for smaller operations. My frequent example is that BRCGS states for internal auditing, if you cannot avoid auditing your own department/work, use a third-party service, whereas SQF states to try avoiding auditing your own department/work whenever possible.
• You can easily, without making an account or being a certified site, obtain a copy of the SQF code and guidance documents via SQFI's website. Cannot simply do that for BRCGS.
• The physical copy of the BRCGS code is as expensive as a textbook, and the free PDF you can get from the BRCGS store doesn't allow you to copy the text. You cannot buy a printed copy of SQF Code, but you can easily print it out at your site or an office/print/copy shop. You can highlight and copy the text in the SQF Code PDF.

There are other small differences, but these were the ones that stand out most to me--as well as the unannounced audit window like Scampi mentioned.

[ChristinaK]

Yeah, that's a quirky little pain in the butt re: BRCGS.

 

One thing that would definitely be unethical is to put the free version of the BRCGS code through a third-party software/application that unlocks it to allow for printing or editing.  I definitely would not recommend doing this at all    

 

I do hate how there's very little price difference between the printed BRCGS code and the "unlocked" PDF. Absolutely wild to me. Finding a way to print your own physical copy...that would be soooo unethical...I would never support piracy, matey, yarrr... >;-) 

 

Thankfully I'm back with SQF, so no more BRCGS headaches. We have one of those spiral plastic book binding machines at work so all my copies of SQF Code are sitting pretty at my desk.

[Marshenko]

I do hate how there's very little price difference between the printed BRCGS code and the "unlocked" PDF. Absolutely wild to me. Finding a way to print your own physical copy...that would be soooo unethical...I would never support piracy, matey, yarrr... >;-) 

 

Thankfully I'm back with SQF, so no more BRCGS headaches. We have one of those spiral plastic book binding machines at work so all my copies of SQF Code are sitting pretty at my desk.

 

Thanks for reminding me - I asked the head office a couple months ago if they had a book binding machine thingee, and they were going to look around the office and see.  Never got back to me, so I guess I can order one now!

 

Any recommendations?