
What is SQF Certification?
Learn what SQF certification is, its requirements, audit process, costs, benefits, and how food businesses can prepare for SQF certification and meet GFSI food safety standards.
Driven to ensure organizational requirements meet the challenges of technology integration with sound food safety and quality planning with focus on risk mitigation and prevention. Technical expertise in audit standards, lead instructor via accredited programs, and community leader to advance local / national food ecosystems.

Dave Seddon is the Co-Founder and Chief Food Safety Officer at FoodReady, bringing over 29 years of cross-sector expertise in food safety, business operations, nutrition, financial systems, and technology integration. As a Registered and Licensed Dietitian with an MBA, Dave bridges the gap between regulatory compliance, public health, and enterprise-level strategy, making him one of the most uniquely qualified voices in the food safety industry.
Dave has led food safety initiatives across farm, sea, processing, foodservice, and distribution environments. He is a certified Lead Instructor for Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF) and Seafood HACCP/Sanitation, and a seasoned consultant in GFSI frameworks such as SQF and BRCGS. His work at FoodReady centers on designing intelligent software solutions that automate food safety recordkeeping, simplify audits, and support compliance across the food supply chain.
Beyond FoodReady, Dave is a Workgroup Member with the University of Vermont’s Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAF), where he contributes to industry-led efforts in FSMA education and outreach. He also serves as Co-Managing Director of the Maine Farm and Sea Cooperative, leading initiatives to expand access to nutritious, locally sourced food in institutional settings.
Throughout his career, Dave has held leadership roles in both the public and private sectors, spanning ERP implementation, M&A integration, financial analysis, and operational turnaround. His extensive experience with food businesses, nonprofits, and global enterprises enables him to develop scalable solutions that reduce risk, improve margins, and enhance food safety culture at every level of the organization.
Passionate about systems thinking and community health, Dave’s mission is to strengthen the safety, sustainability, and accessibility of the food system through education, innovation, and practical tools.

Learn what SQF certification is, its requirements, audit process, costs, benefits, and how food businesses can prepare for SQF certification and meet GFSI food safety standards.

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Plan, track, and automate your food safety compliance. Unify quality, inventory, and production on a single cloud platform to eliminate spreadsheets and achieve 100% audit readiness.

Navigating GFSI audit readiness requires the right combination of compliance software and audit companies. Discover the top 13 GFSI audit companies to streamline your SQF, BRCGS, or FSSC 22000 certification in 2026.
15–30 minutes. We map FoodReady to your process, plug in your real HACCP plan, and show you the auditor view before the call ends.