On-site, hands-on
Hazard analysis, sanitation, supplier approval and records are built on your floor, during production, with your team.
CertifiedSQF Food Safety Auditor · Miami food safety consultant
Food safety consulting that gets your plant ready for its next SQF, BRCGS, PrimusGFS or SMETA audit or FDA inspection
Food safety consulting led by Juan S. Vargas, an Exemplar Global–certified SQF Food Safety Auditor and former plant SQF Practitioner. We build your system on the floor, train your team in English and Spanish, and audit it the way your certification body will.
Juan S. Vargas · Founder10+ years in food quality control · PCQI · HACCP (NSF)
5.0 on Google
- SQF Food Safety AuditorExemplar Global · 2024
- PCQI certifiedFSPCA Preventive Controls
- Former SQF PractitionerMiami bakery manufacturer
- Florida LLC since 2023Sunbiz Doc. L23000058488
SQFBRCGSPrimusGFSFSSC 22000BAPHACCPFSMA · PCQIFSVPUSDA OrganicKosherVeganSMETAFlorida DBPRSQFBRCGSPrimusGFSFSSC 22000BAPHACCPFSMA · PCQIFSVPUSDA OrganicKosherVeganSMETAFlorida DBPR
Services
One consultant for every standard your buyers ask for
Retailers, co-packers and inspectors don't ask for "food safety". They ask for a certificate, a plan or a clean inspection. Choose the one you're being asked for; each page covers the requirements, our process and exactly what you receive.
SQF Consulting & Certification
Edition 9 today, Edition 10 from January 2027. Gap analysis, system build, practitioner support and mock audits.
SQFLEARN MOREHACCP & Food Safety Plans
Hazard analysis, CCPs, validation and monitoring records written for your process, not copied from a template.
HACCPLEARN MOREFSMA, PCQI & FSVP Compliance
Preventive controls food safety plans, FSVP for importers and FSMA 204 traceability readiness.
FSMALEARN MOREBRCGS & GFSI Consulting
Choose the right GFSI scheme for your buyers, then build the system to BRCGS, FSSC 22000 or IFS.
BRCGSLEARN MOREPrimusGFS Certification Support
Farm, packhouse and cooler operations ready for PrimusGFS v4.0 and U.S. retail buyers.
PrimusGFSLEARN MOREOrganic / NOP Certification
Organic System Plan, supplier verification and SOE-compliant records for USDA organic certification.
USDA OrganicLEARN MOREKosher, Vegan & Sugar-Free Claims
Prepare ingredients, suppliers and sanitation for kosher and vegan certification and defensible sugar-free claims.
Kosher · VeganLEARN MORESMETA & Social Compliance
SMETA 7.0 readiness: labor, health & safety, environment and business ethics, before the auditor arrives.
SMETALEARN MOREFood Safety Audits & Gap Assessments
Independent gap assessments, internal audits and full mock audits that score you the way your auditor will.
Gap · MockLEARN MORERestaurant Food Safety & Compliance
Florida DBPR inspection readiness, kitchen SOPs and bilingual staff training for Miami restaurants.
DBPRLEARN MORENot sure which standard you need?
Tell us what your buyer or inspector asked for. In a free 30-minute gap call we map the requirement, your likely gaps and a realistic timeline.
BOOK YOUR FREE GAP ASSESSMENTServicio en español
Capacitación en planta, planes HACCP y acompañamiento para exportadores de Latinoamérica que venden a Estados Unidos.
ESVER SITIO EN ESPAÑOL
Your consultant
You work directly with a certified SQF auditor
Juan S. Vargas
Founder & Lead Food Safety Consultant
- SQF Food Safety AuditorExemplar Global · 2024
- PCQI — Preventive ControlsFSPCA · 2019
- HACCP certifiedNSF · 2019
- B.S. Industrial EngineeringUniversidad Militar Nueva Granada
Registered Florida company: Juan Vargas Lujan LLC · Sunbiz Doc. L23000058488 · since 2023. Verify on Sunbiz
Most consulting firms send a junior associate with a template. At JV Food Safety Consulting, every gap analysis, system build and mock audit is led by the founder, Juan S. Vargas.
Juan is an industrial engineer with more than ten years in quality control, most of them inside FDA-regulated food plants in Miami. He ran the SQF system of a bakery manufacturer first as SQF Practitioner and then as Quality Control Manager, supervised quality at a seafood processor, and today audits suppliers and co-packers against SQF, BAP and FSSC 22000 as a corporate QA manager.
In 2024 he was certified by Exemplar Global as an SQF Food Safety Auditor after completing SQFI's auditor course and examination. That's the difference you feel on audit day: your system is tested by someone trained to score it the way a certification body does.
- Auditor's eye: SQFI auditing course, SQF auditor examination and Exemplar Global certification
- Plant-floor experience: SQF Practitioner and QC Manager in manufacturing, not only in an office
- Regulatory depth: PCQI (FSPCA), HACCP (NSF), environmental monitoring (SQFI) and ATP hygiene verification
- Bilingual: trains supervisors and line staff in English and Spanish
How we're different
Consulting that happens on your production floor
A document package sent by email looks complete until an auditor asks a line operator how they verify a CCP. We build the system with the people who run it.
Audited like the real thing
Mock audits follow the certification body's format and scoring, run by a certified SQF Food Safety Auditor.
Bilingual training
Many Miami plants run in Spanish. Work instructions, logs and training match the language your operators use.
Honest, fixed scope
If you only need a gap assessment and a PCQI-prepared plan, that's what we quote. No retainers you don't need.
- 10+
- years in food quality control
- 15+
- GFSI certifications supported
- 10
- standards and programs covered
- 2
- working languages: English & Spanish
Process
Three phases, and you keep every deliverable
Every engagement follows the same path from first visit to certificate. What changes is the standard, the size of the gap and your audit date.
Gap analysis
A site visit and document review scored clause by clause against your target standard, with gaps ranked by audit risk.
You receive: gap report, prioritized action plan, realistic timeline to audit.
System build & training
We write or rebuild the food safety plan, prerequisite programs and records with your team, then train supervisors and line staff.
You receive: HACCP / food safety plan, SOPs and forms, training records, internal audit schedule.
Mock audit & certification
A full mock audit in your certification body's format, corrective actions closed, and support on the day of the real audit.
You receive: mock audit report, corrective action log, audit-day support.
Results
Case records, measured from gap analysis to audit
Client names stay confidential unless a client authorizes us in writing. What we can share is the starting point, the result and how long it took.
CASE 01 · READY-TO-EAT MANUFACTURER
42,000 sq ft · Medley, FL
- Standard
- SQF Food Safety Code: Manufacturing
- At gap analysis
- 47 gaps (6 major)
- At certification audit
- Certified · 0 major, 3 minor
- Outcome
- SQF score 94 (Good)
14 weeks
Illustrative engagement · real client data pending authorization
CASE 02 · PRODUCE IMPORTER & PACKHOUSE
28,000 sq ft · Doral, FL
- Standard
- PrimusGFS
- At gap analysis
- 38 gaps in the FSMS module
- At certification audit
- Certified · 96% overall
- Outcome
- Buyer approval secured
10 weeks
Illustrative engagement · real client data pending authorization
CASE 03 · BAKERY & SNACK CO-PACKER
65,000 sq ft · Hialeah, FL
- Standard
- BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9
- At gap analysis
- 52 gaps (9 major)
- At certification audit
- Certified · Grade A
- Outcome
- Retail supply contract kept
20 weeks
Illustrative engagement · real client data pending authorization
Who we work with
Built for food businesses that sell to demanding buyers
Manufacturers & co-packers
RTE, bakery and snack, sauces, beverages and frozen foods preparing for SQF, BRCGS or FSSC 22000 to win or keep retail contracts.
RTE manufacturersImporters, seafood & packhouses
Seafood and produce importers through Miami that need BAP, PrimusGFS, FSVP and FDA-ready records, including Latin American suppliers.
FSMA & FSVPRestaurants & food service
Independent restaurants and groups in Miami-Dade and Broward preparing for Florida DBPR inspections with kitchen SOPs and bilingual training.
Restaurant complianceWhere we work
Based in Doral, on-site wherever your plant is
Our office is in Doral, in the heart of one of the densest food import and distribution corridors in the United States. Many engagements are a short drive away, in the warehouse districts of Medley and Doral, the manufacturing blocks of Hialeah and the port-connected operations of Fort Lauderdale and Broward.
For plants outside Florida we schedule on-site visits for the phases that need them (gap analysis, training, mock audit) and support the rest remotely.
| Area | How we work |
|---|---|
| Miami-Dade & Broward | On-site for every phase |
| Rest of Florida | On-site for gap analysis, training and mock audit |
| Other U.S. states | Scheduled on-site visits + remote support |
| Latin America (suppliers to the U.S.) | Remote document work + on-site visits by project, in Spanish |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does a food safety consultant do?
A food safety consultant assesses your operation against a specific standard or regulation (such as SQF, BRCGS, HACCP or FSMA), closes the gaps by building the required programs and records with your team, trains your staff and runs a mock audit before the real one. The goal is a system your people can operate and defend in front of an auditor after the consultant leaves.
Who will actually work on our project?
Juan S. Vargas, the founder, leads every engagement personally: gap analysis, system build, training and mock audit. He is an Exemplar Global–certified SQF Food Safety Auditor, a PCQI and a former plant SQF Practitioner with more than 10 years in food quality control.
How long does it take to get SQF or BRCGS certified?
Most facilities need 3 to 6 months from gap analysis to certification audit. Plants with an existing HACCP plan and prerequisite programs can be ready sooner; plants starting from scratch or expanding usually need longer. Your certification body also needs records covering a period of operation before the audit, so start early.
Can a consultant guarantee we'll pass the audit?
No honest consultant can guarantee the result of a third-party audit, because the certification body makes that decision. What we control is the preparation: a complete gap analysis, a system built for your operation, trained staff and a full mock audit in your certification body's format, so there are no surprises on audit day.
Do you work with companies outside Miami?
Yes. We are based in Doral, Miami-Dade, and work on-site across Florida and the rest of the United States, scheduling visits for the phases that need to happen on the floor. We also support Latin American exporters that supply U.S. buyers, in Spanish.
Free gap call
Have an audit on the calendar?
In 30 minutes we review your standard, your date and your most likely gaps, and tell you honestly whether you need us.
- +1 786 209 7451
- Mon–Fri · 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET
- jusevalu02@gmail.com
- 5.0 on Google
Juan S. VargasSQF Food Safety Auditor · PCQI
Request a gap call or a quote
Takes under a minute. Juan reviews every request personally.