The Pinnacle Club is a group of DFA members who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to food safety and quality throughout the calendar year. 

If you are a DFA member, each facility is entitled to free member audits; a benefit DFA has been providing for over 60 years. These inspections help food processors verify that they not only meet but exceed current regulatory requirements by the United States Food & Drug Administration; these audits also help to drive continual improvement in companies’ food safety programs.  

We have designed the complimentary audits on the FDA’s food safety requirements in its 21 CFR 110 (being updated this summer to 21 CFR 117) regulation, with some additional requirements based on best practices in the industry.

‘The DFA Member Audit Program assures our members that their facility meets the 21 CFR part 117 requirements for Good Manufacturing Practices and the FSMA Preventive Controls rule regulations. Providing these audits helps our members prepare for upcoming HACCP or GFSI audits and identify gaps in their food safety plan. It is also to provide them with an annual third-party audit certificate to send to their suppliers,” explains Katie Edwards, Director of Client Services.

In 2018, we launched a new audit platform, decreasing the number of audits from three to two, and added an FSMA audit to help facilities comply with the new FDA regulations. These facility inspections are completed twice a year for each member facility with an annual calendar of January to December.  

In the months following the concluded audit calendar year, the Pinnacle Club members are evaluated and recognized for successful audit scores. Members with at least one audit above 1800 receive a Pinnacle Club certificate; those greater than 1800 for both audits also receive a coveted Pinnacle Club plaque. 

If you are not currently taking advantage of this program or would like to learn more, please email Katie Edwards at katiee@safefoodalliance.com.