No Tricks, Just Trusted Treats: How Retailers Can Use the SQF Certified Site Directory This Halloween

The new SQF Certified Site Directory, an online tool that identifies suppliers’ SQF food safety certifications, helps retailers confirm that suppliers meet GFSI standards, reducing risks of recalls and enhancing consumer trust.

By LeAnn Chuboff, Vice President, SQF Technical Affairs, Safe Quality Food Institute

Kids in costumes trick or treating and grabbing candy out of a white bag

Halloween is all about treats, but when you’re a retailer, ensuring those treats are safe is serious business. Behind every bag of candy, chocolate bar, and caramel apple sits a supply chain that must be verified, certified, and trusted.

That’s where the new SQF Certified Site Directory comes in. Designed to make SQF certificate verification faster and more transparent, this online directory helps retailers easily identify and confirm sites holding a GFSI-benchmarked SQF food safety certificate.

Think of it as your year-round “trick-or-treat” filter, separating the trustworthy suppliers from the ones that might scare you.

Build Retailer Confidence Through Verified Certification

For retailers, SQF certificate verification is about protecting both customers and brand reputation. The SQF Directory allows you to instantly confirm whether a site’s certification is current, what scope of products it covers, and when it was last audited, no back-and-forth emails or guessing games required.

By sourcing suppliers listed in the directory, you can confidently assure shoppers that every confection and snack comes from a facility meeting globally recognized standards under the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

Avoid Food Safety Nightmares

Product recalls are every retailer’s horror story. Using the SQF Certified Site Directory reduces that risk by helping you verify SQF certification before products ever reach the shelf. With accurate, real-time data, your team can focus on growth and consumer trust, not crisis control.

How to Find Certified Candy and Confectionery Suppliers

Using the directory is easy and takes just a few clicks:

  • Visit the SQF Certified Site Directory
  • In the search bar, select Audit Name and sort by Edition 9 to ensure you’re viewing current certifications.
  • Under Food Sector Category, choose Category 17 – Confectionery Manufacturing.
  • Review the results to find suppliers that meet your sourcing criteria, complete with certificate details and contact information.

A Sweet Step Toward Consumer Trust

This Halloween and beyond, let your shoppers know their favorite treats are sourced from facilities certified to the highest food safety standards. Because when it comes to food safety, there should be no tricks, only trusted treats.

If you have any SQF questions, please contact our Customer Service team,

SQFI (Safe Quality Food) Institute is a division of FMI—The Food Industry Association, established to administer the SQF Program, a leading global food safety and quality certification and management system.