A Global Survey Reveals the Gaps SQF 10 Is About to Expose

A new global survey confirmed what most food safety leaders already suspect—training gaps are real, wide, and not closing. But the data points to something more uncomfortable than a resource or budget problem. It points to a methods problem. The industry is still training a new generation of workers the same way it trained their parents. With SQF Edition 10 coming, that approach is about to run out of runway.

The Ninth Global Food Safety Training Survey—conducted by Campden BRI in collaboration with BRCGS, IFS, SQF, and other leading certification bodies—analyzed responses from more than 3,000 sites worldwide. The numbers are worth paying attention to. But more important is what they tell you about why training keeps falling short.

• More than half still use paper-based systems — and another 27% rely on spreadsheets. That's nearly 80% of the industry managing compliance through tools built for a different era.
  
  
• 1 in 4 have no competency framework — they can't define what "trained" looks like for each role. Training becomes a checkbox exercise, not a capability development tool.
  
  
• Nearly half do not collect effectiveness data — delivering training without knowing if it's effective.

And yet—nearly 95 percent said they understand what it takes to build a strong food safety culture. Those figures do not line up.

The Workforce is changing faster than your training is evolving

Today's plant floor is younger, more diverse, and grew up in a world of on-demand content and interactive everything. They don't retain information from a two-hour slide deck once a year.

That's not a generational complaint—it's a learning science reality. The methods most facilities are still using were designed for a different learner in a different era. Passive delivery. Annual cadence. One-size-fits-all content. Sign here, file it away, hope it stuck.

SQF 10 is forcing a change

Training methods are the last thing that hasn't caught up—and SQF 10 is about to make that impossible to ignore. SQF 10 features noteworthy changes this survey outlines as potentially challenges for respondents:

• Competency-based training is now a clear expectation. Attendance records and completion certificates aren't enough. You need evidence that learning translated into behavior—which means your training actually has to change behavior first.
  
  
• Food safety culture is now measurable, not optional. Documented plans, defined objectives, leadership involvement, and continuous improvement. You can't document a culture built on annual sign-in sheets and hope.
  
  
• Documentation and traceability are non-negotiable. Auditors expect accurate, up-to-date records connecting training to specific roles fast. Paper and spreadsheets aren't a minor inconvenience. They're an audit liability.

Where WorkForge Fits—Wherever You're Starting From

Not every facility is in the same place. Some are running binders and sign-in sheets. Some have a system but no visibility into whether it's working. Some have been on the same compliance platform for years—checking the box, running the same dated content, wondering why nothing changes on the floor. WorkForge is built for all of it.

• If your training lives in file cabinets, we digitize the whole operation. Training records, competency documentation, and role-based assignments in one place, updated in real time in an LMS built for food production. No more binder hunts before an audit.
• If audit prep still feels like a fire drill, we put it at your fingertips. Dashboards give you an instant view of completion, competency verification, and gaps by role or location. When an auditor walks in, you pull the report. Done.
• If your content isn't working, we built something different. Interactive, engaging micro-modules designed for how today's workforce actually learns—not slide decks, not checkbox modules. Content that changes behavior on the floor, not just behavior on a sign-in sheet. And it goes beyond safety: skills development, cross-training, onboarding, leadership. A workforce trained only to pass audits isn't a workforce that performs.

See content samples for yourself:

• • Content Catalog Samples

  • Interactive assessment samples

  • Custom content samples

The Window Is Open. It Won't Be Forever.

The answer isn't just a new tool. It's a new approach—built for the people doing the work, producing results that show up on the floor and in the audit.

Take our free SQF Readiness Assessment to see exactly where your program stands.

The survey told you the gaps are real. Our assessment will help you plan for your next steps.