“Since its inception, SQFI has been committed to making it easier for our clients to manage the quality of their respective compliance systems,” says Robert Garfield, senior vice president for the Safe Quality Food Institute. “SQFI’s selection of EtQ is another example of how we will strive to meet companies’ needs across the areas of auditor traceability, notifications and certification.”

New program attributes include improved auditing forms for internal functions and systems to track and report on nonconformance cases with greater ease. SQF users can expect to compare multiple reports among sites within their companies as a better means to measure performance. In addition, these attributes and financing will be hosted under one user-friendly interface.

As an introduction, EtQ will host a breakout session on Nov. 10 at the 2011 SQF International Conference. During “The Power of Data: An Inside Look at the New SQF Data Management System,” Chief Technology Officer of EtQ Morgan Palmer and Senior Business Director of SQFI John Schulz will detail the new auditing system and functionality that will better serve all users.

Food Marketing Institute (FMI) conducts programs in public affairs, food safety, research, education and industry relations on behalf of its 1,500 member companies — food retailers and wholesalers — in the United States and around the world. FMI’s U.S. members operate approximately 26,000 retail food stores and 14,000 pharmacies. Their combined annual sales volume of $680 billion represents three-quarters of all retail food store sales in the United States. FMI’s retail membership is composed of large multi-store chains, regional firms and independent supermarkets. Its international membership includes 200 companies from more than 50 countries. FMI’s associate members include the supplier partners of its retail and wholesale members. www.fmi.org

The Safe Quality Food (SQF) program is recognized by retailers and foodservice providers around the world as a rigorous, credible food safety management system. It is the only certification system recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) that offers certificates for primary production, food manufacturing, distribution and agent/broker management. This enables suppliers to assure their customers that food has been produced, processed, prepared and handled according to the highest possible standards, at all levels of the supply chain. Additionally as a division of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the SQF program incorporates continual retailer feedback about consumer concerns. This information is passed on to SQF certified suppliers, keeping them a step ahead of their competitors. www.sqfi.com