SQF Recertification
by Karen Yardley
For those of you who have worked here for more than a year, SQF should be a familiar acronym. SQF stands for SAFE QUALITY FOOD. You would also know that we recently made the change to the SQF standard after fol- lowing the AIB (American Institute of Baking) standard for many years. This change was made in part due to requests from our customers, but also because the SQF 2000 System is one of the standards established by the Global Food Safety Initiative ( GFSI ). The SQF audit is a third party or independent audit, meaning it is not an internal, customer or regulatory audit. The main goal of the SQF standard is to reduce the incidence of unsafe food products reaching the marketplace. It requires commitment from all levels – from the President to each and every hourly employee! Jeff Meiners, Presi- dent of Crest Foods, issued a policy regarding our commitment to food safety which you will find posted in each facility. We encourage you to take a moment to read this policy and use it as a guideline in your daily activities here at Crest. Our recertification audits took place this year - the Ingredient Division in January, Main Plant in July and West Fa- cilities in August. Some of the issues noted during these audits that we are addressing and that we feel you should be aware of – In the area of Facility Maintenance – Peeling/chipping paint, cracked light shields, holes in walls or ceilings, espe- cially in food product zones. In the area of Equipment Maintenance – Torn/worn conveyor belts, chipping paint, temporary repairs. In the area of GMPs/Personal Hygiene – Hairnets and beard nets worn properly, hand washing policy followed. Pertaining to our Allergen Program – Employees should use the appropriate hand broom or LP air in the washbay until we relocate the air shower unit to clean off their clothing when moving from one area to another. Keep an eye out for these issues and notify your supervisor or responsible department manager so that they can be addressed in a timely manner. It is all part of our commitment to producing safe, quality food.
Sheri Tefiku is all smiles after becoming a citizen of the United States. On September 8, 2011, Sheri and her son Bekim drove to Chicago to the Immigration Building so Sheri could take her test to become a citizen. Sheri said “I was very scared. The test was very hard but the officer said ‘Mrs. Tefiku, you did a good job!’” Sheri said she tried to take the test four years ago when her husband, Al, took the test, but she did not pass it at that time. She was determined to complete this important step and finally felt secure enough in her use of the English language to try again. As this smile prove, Sheri can now proudly say “I am a U.S. Citizen!” Congratulations Sheri. We are ALL very proud of you!!!
October, November & December 2011 Crest Ink 21
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