What is a minor, major or critical nonconformity, and how long do I have to close it?

In SQF, a minor nonconformity is an isolated or infrequent failure; a major one is a failure of a system element; and a critical one is a loss of control at a critical control point, a prerequisite program or another critical step that is likely to cause a significant public health risk or product contamination. A critical one fails an initial audit or suspends the certificate at recertification.

To close minors and majors: under Edition 9, which applies today, you typically have 30 days after the audit, as set by your certification body; under Edition 10 it will be 40 calendar days from the end of the audit, with evidence of the root cause analysis. If you are audited under BRCGS, confirm the deadlines in its certification rules.