Finalists were selected in the categories of SQF Auditing and SQF Practitioner Leadership
Arlington, VA – The Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI), a division of FMI – The Food Industry Association, announced six finalists for the 2025 SQF Excellence Awards in anticipation of SQF Unites in Orlando, Fla., where the winners of each category will be announced.
“SQF Auditors and Practitioners are the heart of the SQF program,” said Gigi Vita, chief food safety assessment officer & senior vice president for SQF. “Our finalists have shown dedication, leadership, and a commitment to fostering a strong food safety culture that is commendable.”
Excellence in Auditing
The Excellence in SQF Auditing award is presented to a credentialed SQF auditor who demonstrates exceptional performance and dedication to the SQF program through high-quality audits, professional development activities, leadership and mentorship skills, and promotion of food safety culture.
The Excellence in SQF Auditing Award finalists:
- Stacey Brown, certified lead auditor and SQF consultant at ASI Food Safety.
- John “JP” Paul, senior consultant and SQF auditor at Intertek SAI Global.
- Joshua Porbeni, lead auditor at Intertek SAI Global.
Excellence in Practitioner Leadership
The award for Excellence in SQF Practitioner Leadership is given to an SQF practitioner within an SQF-certified site who demonstrates extraordinary leadership and promotion of food safety at their workplace.
The Excellence in SQF Practitioner Leadership finalists:
- Nadine Francis, quality assurance manager at Salada Foods Jamaica Limited.
- Renee McVey, FSQA and quality control manager at Redbarn Pet Products.
- Kim Raczka, head of food safety at The Wenger Group.
2025 SQF Excellence Awards
The winners of the SQF Excellence Awards will be announced at SQF Unites on Monday, March 3, at 8:30 a.m. EST. During this ceremony, SQFI will also celebrate the recipients of the FMI Foundation Food Safety Auditing Scholarships, given to students currently enrolled in food and agricultural science majors who have expressed interest in accredited food safety auditing.
The SQF Excellence Awards are sponsored by Exemplar Global. For more information about the 2025 SQF Excellence Awards, please visit www.sqfi.com/sqf-professionals/sqf-excellence-awards.
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About the Safe Quality Food Institute
The Safe Quality Food (SQF) program is hosted by SQFI – Safe Quality Food Institute, a division of FMI, The Food Industry Association. FMI administers the SQF program, a leading, global food safety and quality certification and management system. While SQFI is most known for its globally benchmarked food safety and quality program, the SQFI team does much more than writing and maintaining this standard. The SQFI mission is to deliver consistent, globally recognized food safety and quality certification programs that are based on sound scientific principles, applied across all industry sectors, and valued by all stakeholders. The SQFI program is a rigorous and credible food safety and quality management program recognized by retailers, brand owners, and food service providers world-wide. www.SQFI.com
About FMI – The Food Industry Association
As the food industry association, FMI works with and on behalf of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier and more efficient consumer food supply chain. FMI brings together a wide range of members across the value chain — from retailers that sell to consumers, to producers that supply food and other products, as well as the wide variety of companies providing critical services — to amplify the collective work of the industry. www.FMI.org
