BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety: what it covers, what Issue 9 changed and why certification matters

For many food businesses, winning or keeping a retailer's business depends on passing an independent food safety audit. What auditors look for, how often they arrive unannounced and what changed in the latest issue all shape how a site prepares.

What is BRCGS?

BRCGS (formerly known as BRC) first published its Global Standard for Food Safety in 1998. Developed to help the food industry comply with UK and EU food safety laws, it has become an internationally recognized benchmark for best practice in food safety, quality and responsibility.

Now in its ninth issue, the standard gives organizations working in the food industry a framework for managing the safety, integrity and quality of their products and services. This includes retailers, manufacturers, importers, caterers and ingredient suppliers. Many retailers across the UK, the US and Europe will only do business with suppliers who have passed an audit and been accredited by a BRCGS certification body.

What the Global Standard for Food Safety covers across seven sections

The Global Standard for Food Safety sets out requirements for how processed foods and other products (for example, branded foods; retailer-brand foods; or ingredients used by food service companies, caterers, or manufacturers) should be made or prepared. Only products that are manufactured, prepared, or stored at the site that's being audited as part of the certification will apply.

The standard is divided into seven sections:

Senior management commitment and continual improvement

Your senior managers must commit to implementing and continually improving your organization's food safety processes.

The food safety plan and HACCP

Having a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan in place allows you to identify and manage any biological, chemical, or physical hazards that could make the food you produce unsafe to eat.

Food safety and quality management system

You should implement a system that enables you to produce safe products, meet customers' expectations and ensure staff are well trained.

Site standards for layout, cleaning, security and pest control

Sites on which you manufacture or prepare food must be laid out, maintained, cleaned, and secured according to strict standards. Your organization must also meet requirements relating to the control of pests and foreign bodies.

Product control, from allergens to provenance and testing

For your products to be considered safe, you need to demonstrate that you properly manage things such as allergens, provenance, and product testing.

Process control and day-to-day quality

You must implement your HACCP plan from day to day and have effective procedures in place for ensuring you manufacture your products to the correct quality.

Personnel training, protective clothing and hygiene

This part of the standard covers training, protective clothing, and hygiene. You need to ensure that all personnel are equipped with everything they need to carry out their duties in a safe manner.

BRCGS Issue 9 aims to promote best practice and ensure that organizations are working to strong, consistent standards. By gaining BRCGS certification, you can assure your customers that you are highly competent at monitoring and continually improving the quality and safety of your product, and that you've taken every possible precaution to prevent problems should quality and safety ever be challenged.

What changed in the BRCGS Issue 9 update of August 2022, from blended audits to stronger fraud controls

BRCGS periodically reviews and updates the standard to reflect changes in food safety laws and any new risks that may have emerged. Issue 9 of the standard was published in August 2022. Some of the most notable changes and additions are below.

Traceability and food fraud controls

Ensuring the safety and integrity of food products is paramount for companies. In the event of a contamination or a potential safety concern, having the ability to trace and swiftly recall these products is crucial. The updated requirements now emphasize the need for companies to safeguard their purchased materials against vulnerabilities within the supply chain. Traceability is key to ensure customer confidence and satisfied regulatory bodies.

Audit options now include announced, blended and unannounced formats

Businesses can now choose from a range of options to tailor the auditing process to their specific needs and preferences. These options include:

• Announced on-site audit: The company in question will be notified in advance, allowing them to prepare for the audit and ensuring that all relevant stakeholders are available for the assessment.
• Announced blended audit: A combination of online and on-site auditing, this approach combines the convenience of remote document review with a traditional on-site audit. This blended method enables companies to streamline the audit process while ensuring a thorough evaluation of their operations.
• Unannounced on-site audit: Although this option remains unchanged, Issue 9 of the standard mandates that, within a three-year cycle, at least one audit must be unannounced, regardless of the chosen option (on-site or blended).

Unannounced audits promote transparency and accountability within organizations. They offer an unbiased snapshot of a site's practices without prior preparation.

Labeling and withdrawal control

Clause 6.2.1 now requires companies to have robust processes in place to ensure that labels are used in accordance with their intended purpose, and any inconsistencies are promptly investigated. By following this requirement diligently, businesses have the potential to reduce the number of recalls caused by the use of incorrect labels or even the placement of products in the wrong packaging.

Product authenticity and vulnerability assessments

The product authenticity requirements in clause 5.4.1 have notably improved. One enhancement is a requirement for individuals or teams responsible for vulnerability assessments to know the underlying principles. Meeting this requirement might involve providing training on vulnerability assessment methods. With a better understanding of vulnerability assessments, organizations can take proactive measures to safeguard their products from counterfeit or fraudulent activities. It's a crucial step towards maintaining trust and protecting consumers.

Benefits of BRCGS certification, from fewer recalls to access to retailers that require it

The benefits of BRCGS certification include the following:

• Protects your brand and your customers
• Allows you to do business with those retailers, manufacturers, ingredients companies and food service organizations who specify certification as part of their approval process
• Helps reduce the number of product recalls, customer complaints and rejected products
• Incorporates food safety management systems and internationally accepted best practice to ensure the safety and quality of products
• Audits are carried out by trained and experienced certification bodies working to BRCGS Global Standards

The BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety meets the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmark, which means it is accepted by many large retailers. Achieving the certification ensures your customers have confidence in your products.

Why audit readiness has to become routine when an unannounced audit is mandatory every three years

Certification rewards sites that can show, at any time, that senior management commitment, the HACCP plan, site standards and trained personnel work together as one system. Because Issue 9 requires at least one unannounced audit in every three-year cycle, readiness cannot be something a site prepares for on a known date. For any business that supplies retailers or manufacturers who specify certification, building that routine is what keeps customer approval in place.