Resources · Food safety guides
Practical answers to the questions we hear most from plant managers, QA directors and restaurant owners. Written from audit and on-site experience, checked against official sources, and free to use.
Where should you start? If a buyer asked for a certificate, read how to get SQF certified. If you're unsure which rules apply to you, start with FSMA vs HACCP vs SQF. Restaurant owners in Florida should use the DBPR inspection checklist.
Guides
Each guide answers one question in depth, with comparison tables, step-by-step processes and the specific dates and regulations that apply. We stick to verifiable facts: where a requirement depends on your situation or on a document you should read yourself, we say so.
The SQF certification process in nine steps, from choosing the right code and appointing an SQF Practitioner to closing audit findings. Includes a timeline table, what drives the cost and the most common reasons first-time sites score low.
Read the SQF certification guideThe confirmed dates for SQF Code Edition 10, which audits it applies to, and a transition plan and checklist to finish before January 2, 2027.
Read the Edition 10 guideOne law, one method and one certification, compared side by side: who requires each, who prepares the plan, who checks it, and a decision guide to work out which ones you need.
Read the comparisonHow DBPR inspections work, high priority vs intermediate vs basic violations, a kitchen checklist by area, manager and food handler training deadlines, and what happens after a violation.
Open the checklistWhat consultants actually do, the situations that justify one, how a consultant compares with a full-time QA manager, and how to vet a consultant before you sign.
Read the hiring guideBy situation
| If you are… | Start with | Then read |
|---|---|---|
| A manufacturer whose buyer asked for SQF or GFSI | How to get SQF certified | SQF Edition 10 changes |
| Already SQF certified, with a 2027 audit coming | SQF Edition 10 changes | When to hire a consultant |
| Unsure which regulations or certifications apply | FSMA vs HACCP vs SQF | How to get SQF certified |
| A restaurant owner or kitchen manager in Florida | Florida inspection checklist | When to hire a consultant |
| Dealing with an FDA 483, a recall or a failed audit | When to hire a consultant | FSMA vs HACCP vs SQF |
A note on sources. Our guides reference the FDA, USDA, the SQF Institute and Florida's DBPR and FDACS. Rules and codes change, so each guide shows the date it was last updated. For a decision that affects your certificate or license, confirm the specifics with your certification body or regulator.
Need hands-on help?
Guides explain the path; they don't walk your floor. JV Food Safety Consulting works on site with food manufacturers, importers, distributors and restaurants in Miami, across South Florida and the U.S., in English and Spanish. The most requested services connected to these guides are:
Gap analysis, system build, bilingual training and mock audit for first certification or the Edition 10 transition. SQF consultant
Food safety plans prepared with PCQI oversight and HACCP plans validated for your process. FSMA and PCQI consulting
Mock DBPR inspections, staff training and logs for Miami kitchens. Restaurant food safety consultant
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