Whole Foods Market Suppliers Need Food Safety Certification

According to Whole Foods Market (WFM), suppliers must “develop food safety systems capable of achieving a passing grade on a third-party food safety audit completed by a WFM approved audit company”.

There are two types of food safety audits that are accepted by Whole Foods Market (WFM). You can choose to participate in either a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized audit such as SQF, BRCGS, PrimusGFS, or FSSC 22000, or a non-GFSI certified audit such as a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification audit or a Supplier Assurance audit.

GFSI certification audits set the highest global standard for food safety; therefore they are the most widely accepted food safety certifications. GMP certification and Supplier Assurance is accepted by Whole Foods Market; however, GMP certification and Supplier Assurance is not accepted by all retailers. GMP and Supplier Assurance are often considered stepping-stone certifications prior to becoming GFSI certified.

Six Steps to Prepare for Your Whole Foods Market Food Safety Certification Audit

Identify members of your team who will be participating in your audit. It’s important to have management commitment in your organization too!
If you would like outside food safety consulting support to prepare for your audit, reach out months in advance of when you would like to be audited for your free consultation with Kellerman Consulting.
Select a food safety certification body to complete your third-party food safety audit. Certification bodies are often booked several months ahead, so be sure to contact them well in advance of your preferred audit date. Whole Foods Market (WFM) has approved the following certification bodies:
- NSF International (for all food and beverage sectors)
- Merieux NutriSciences (for all food and beverage sectors)
- Food Safety Net Services (for all food and beverage sectors)
- SAI Global (for all food and beverage sectors)
- AIB (bakeries only)
- Primus (produce only)
Obtain the up-to-date audit requirements from the audit company.
Write your food safety programs and implement them or hire a food safety consulting company such as Kellerman Consulting to write and train you to implement your programs.
Proceed with completing your audit and share your audit results with Whole Foods Market.

View Whole Foods Market supplier resources for more detailed information about WFM food safety requirements.

If you’re overwhelmed or require assistance to meet these Whole Foods Market (WFM) Food Safety Audit expectations, contact us for a free 30 minute consultation at:

(800) 535-1376 or INFO@KELLERMANCONSULTING.COM