BRC Global Standard for Food Safety

Over half of all foods sold in the UK are retailer own branded products. Under the Food Safety Act 1990, these retailers must be able to demonstrate ‘due diligence’ and ensure food products are produced safely for the consumer.

Under the auspices of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), many of the UK’s major retailers joined forces and combined the basic principles of their own individual schemes to develop the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, first published in 1998. It was developed to assist retailers in fulfilling legal obligations and to ensure the highest level of customer protection.

The Standard contains requirements for a HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) system in accordance with the requirements of Codex Alimentarius, a documented quality management system and control of the factory environment standards, products, process and personnel.

It has been reviewed regularly and is currently being revised with Issue 6 expected to be published shortly. Version 6 will come into effect on 1st January 2012 and LRQA will continue to carry out audits against Issue 5 until the end of December 2011.

How can certification benefit my organisation?

Food manufacturers who supply retailers endorsing the scheme now have an obligation to bring their systems in line with this standard.

A key aim of this standard when first developed in 1998 was to provide a single common standard to avoid the confusion and duplication of data which previously existed with the various individual retailer schemes. Additional benefits are that it:

• enables suppliers to report on their status to customers recognising the Standard
• covers all areas of product safety and legality
• addresses part of the due diligence requirements of both the supplier and the retailer
• requires ongoing surveillance and confirmation of follow up of corrective actions on non-conformity
• can be combined with your ISO 9001 and/or HACCP visit.

The certification visit includes inspection of your HACCP and management systems, in addition to a Factory Environmental Inspection. The visit includes preparation of the Audit Report which will be sent to you following approval. In agreement with you, we will also forward to your customers to demonstrate your ability to meet the requirements of the Standard.

The scheme requires the certification process to be undertaken by third party organisations that are both independent and competent. LRQA holds accreditation to the European standard EN 45011 from UKAS and is currently the only organisation to have accreditation for all four BRC Standards.

Need to know more?

Call 0800 783 2179 or complete our enquiry form for further information on our services.

Home : Standards and Schemes : Food and Retail : BRC Global Standard for Food Safety