SQF certification proves IQI’s commitment to highest pet food ingredient standards

February 28 2023 - News

IQI Trusted Petfood Ingredients’ achievement of SQF certification with a high score of 98% for our warehouse in Tracy (USA) in 2022 was a major team effort. It reflects how we keep our programs at the highest possible level while the entire Tracy team strives to deliver the best quality in the industry. At IQI, we embrace the growing demand for certifications like SQF as it drives commitment to a culture of food safety and operational excellence in food safety management.

As expectations concerning pet food quality resemble those of human food, our expectation at IQI is that critical audits of pet food distributors will soon become the industry standard. We embrace this development as we believe we can only contribute to a better world if we take care of these standards and our ingredients. Standards ensure a safe supply chain for our customers and the dogs and cats that consume our products. This has always been a part of our mentality and is reflected, for example, in the meticulous cleaning and screening of lamb meal in Tracy, as well as in our warehouse in Europe.

One hundred percent trust

During the presentation of the audit results, the auditor explained that a score of 98 out of 100 is something very few companies achieve. “The auditor told us he was amazed by our level of detailed documentation and admitted we are even overdoing it on some points,” says Betty McPhee, Vice President of Sales North America at IQI. “We don’t tolerate any risks, unlike many companies that are comfortable with achieving the minimum in order to save time and money. For us, that’s not an option: quality and transparency for our customers are always prioritized over costs. Customers have to be able to trust us one hundred percent. We keep that promise each and every day, which is what differentiates us from others.”

Fully committed

Chad Helberg, Director Global Quality and Procurement at IQI, also reflects on the high audit score: “The outstanding results achieved by Tracy are becoming an annual event. This marks the fifth straight year with scores of 95% or more, including back-to-back 100% scores in 2019 and 2020. This can only be achieved with long-term dedication. We keep our programs at the highest possible level while the entire Tracy team strives to deliver the best quality in the industry.” This proves that the values we stand for at IQI are consistently carried out to the highest standards – which leads to high-quality, trustworthy ingredients and a transparent supply chain. It acknowledges that we are fully committed to staying the most trusted pet food ingredient supplier for all customers, regardless of their size.

Supporting customers

The SQF certification not only demonstrates the guaranteed high quality of IQI’s pet food ingredients, it also helps us unburden our customers. Having a supplier that guarantees SQF standards means they don’t have to worry about further due diligence in food safety matters. The fact that we at IQI have committed ourselves to one program and one standard automatically aligns our customers with that same standard. This supports our customers’ business, because SQF is recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative, which is trusted by buyers around the world.

Would you like to hear more about our commitment to quality and transparency, and how we run our facilities? Come and meet us at booth #1714 at the next Pet Food Forum in Kansas City from 1-3 May or contact us directly.

For more information on our vision on food safety and other standards in the pet food industry,