SQFI, Alchemy Offer New Practitioner Training

Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI), a division of Arlington, Va.-based Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Alchemy Systems, which offers food and workplace safety training for production workers, have launched a co-developed online course and examination for SQF professionals. The training assures that SQF practitioners have demonstrated knowledge of the newly issued SQF Code, Edition 7.

“By creating this training system, we can better prepare SQF food safety professionals to effectively manage their food safety and quality systems, reducing costly recalls and enhancing the food safety culture within their organization,” explained Robert Garfield, SVP of SQFI, a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) -recognized certification body. “In addition, the course provides applicable HACCP-based examples that will challenge users and elevate the principles of an audit for real-life scenarios.”

The course, “Implementing SQF Systems,” educates participants on the updated SQF Code, Edition 7, including implementing an SQF system, preparing for the SQF audit, establishing preventive systems to avert expensive withdrawals and recalls, developing food quality and food safety plans based on HACCP principles, and implementing GMPs or GAPs to ensure the safe growth, manufacture and delivery of food.

“The key attributes that underscore the course’s learning experience include, interaction and knowledge checks, which offer a convenience that has never before been available,” said Jeff Eastman, CEO at Austin, Texas-based Alchemy.

Alchemy and SQF will host a series of informational webinars on SQF practitioner training starting next month. Webinar speakers Kristie Grzywinski, technical manager at SQF, and Laura Nelson, industry relations director at Alchemy, will discuss the content delivered through the new online practitioner courses and what to expect with the updated SQF Code, Edition 7. More information is available online.