BRCGS Global Standards

The BRCGS Global Standards provide a framework to manage product safety, integrity, legality, quality, and the operational controls in the food, food ingredient, manufacturing, processing and packaging industries.

First published in 1998, the BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety is now in its eighth issue having evolved with input from many leading global specifiers, the Standard is well known and established globally and there is a suite of other BRCGS Global Standards.

Key Benefits

GFSI Recognition

The BRCGS Food Safety was acknowledged as the world’s first Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) bench-marked Standard and developed by food industry experts from retailers, manufacturers and food service organisations.

Customer Assurance

Recognised by many leading retailers, manufacturers, ingredients companies, food service organisations and food processors as part of their supplier approval process.

Auditor Expertise

An exceptionally high standard of auditor competency is required to meet the rigorous criteria needed for the scheme.

What is in the BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety?

Embedding Food Safety Culture.

The Standards focus on: encouraging the development of product safety culture; expanding the requirements for environmental monitoring to reflect the increasing importance of this technique; encouraging sites to further develop systems for security and food defence; adding clarity to the requirements for high-risk, high-care and ambient high-care production risk zones; providing greater clarity for sites manufacturing pet food; and ensuring global applicability and bench-marking to the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

Senior Management Commitment

An effective food safety management system requires a commitment by senior management from its inception, to implementation and beyond to optimise continuous improvement all of which is underpinned by a culture of food safety which must be leader-led.

The Food Safety Plan – HACCP

The BRCGS Food Safety requires the development of an effective hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) program based on the principles of the internationally recognised Codex Alimentarius system.

Food Safety and Quality Management System

Ensure your company’s policies and procedures – which form the basis for the product and process controls necessary to produce safe products – meet customer expectations, and make sure staff are trained to continue a consistent production. These elements include, but are not limited to, product specifications, supplier approval, traceability, and the management of incidents, food fraud, food defence and product recalls.

Site Standards

The expectations for the building/construction, production environment, the layout and their maintenance, must be suitable to assure hygienic conditions throughout the food production and handling areas. These need to be supported by the pre-requisite programs such as cleaning, pest control, waste management and foreign body controls.

Product Control

Product design and development processes assure that proper allergen management, safeguarding product and ingredient provenance, appropriate product packaging and effective/conclusive product inspection and testing.

Process Control

The establishment and maintenance of safe process controls, weight/volume control and equipment calibration, and ensures the documented HACCP plan is put into practice.

High-Risk, High-Care and Ambient High-Care Production Risk Zones

This section of the Standard deals with products are at risk of pathogenic contamination. Additional controls are required for these products to ensure safety.

Personnel Commitment

Organisations are required to ensure that all personnel performing work that affects product safety, legality and quality are demonstrably competent to carry out their activity, through training, personal hygiene standards and suitable site issued protective clothing.

BRCGS Storage and Distribution V4 – What Are the Changes?

From May 2021, the BRCGS will be introducing BRCGS Storage and Distribution Standard version 4.
Learn more about the changes and review the Transition Information FAQ.

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Add BRCGS Food Additional Modules to Your Audit

The BRCGS Food Safety Standard provides a framework to manage product safety, integrity, legality, quality, and the operational controls in the food and food ingredient manufacturing, processing and packing industry.

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BRCGS Global Standard for Packaging Materials

The Standard sets out the requirements for the manufacture of packaging materials that are used in the production of, and filling operations for, food, hygiene-sensitive consumer products (including cosmetics), raw materials, and other consumer products.The standard is based on a Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment (HARA) supported by management system elements and requirements for site standards.

BRCGS Global Standard for Storage and Distribution

The Standard has been developed to cover all activities which may affect the safety, quality and legality of the products stored and distributed, and of additional contracted services provided by storage and distribution companies.The standard is based on HACCP principles supported by management system elements and requirements for site and transport standards.

Gluten Free Certification Program (GFCP)

The GFCP Global Standard applies only to the control of gluten in the manufacture, processing, and packing of gluten-free products. These include: processed foods, both own brand and customer branded: ingredients for use by food service companies, catering companies, and food manufacturers; pet foods; cosmetics; natural health products; drugs.Benefits of a gluten-free management system The long-term outcome of the GFCP Global Standard is to promote a systems approach to prevent failures that could harm the public. Correctly applied, a site’s gluten-free management system (GFMS) will provide a very strong level of protection from failure, and if failure does occur, it will enable the rapid identification and management of risks and deviations. Increasing the availability of gluten-free products that conform to regulatory requirements will enable market expansion and should, at the same time, reduce the burden on government enforcement. Consumers will benefit by having increased confidence in their purchases, wider availability, and variety of choice

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Assurance Training

As a leading provider of education and training, SAI Global Assurance Learning offers a wide range of training courses to help you learn, plan, implement, assess and improve your management system.

BRCGS Packaging Materials Issue 5 to 6 Conversion for Sites

This course will provide delegates with an in-depth understanding of the revisions to the packaging materials standard requirements for Issue 5 to 6 conversion for sites.

BRCGS for Food Safety Issue 7 to 8 Conversion for Sites

This course will provide delegates with an in-depth understanding of the revisions to the Standard requirements for Issue 8.

BRCGS for Food Safety Issue 7 to 8 Conversion for Auditors

This course will provide auditors of BRCGS for Food Safety Issue 7 with details of the changes to the Standard for Issue 8, as well as a review of audit protocol and BRCGS expectations to ensure the effectiveness and consistency of audits against the Standard.