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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 ninth 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.

GFSI Standards Accreditation

As an accredited Certification Body, Intertek SAI Global can partner with you to reach certification.

The BRC 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. For details visit the JASANZ Register.
JASANZ Register

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?

In May 2021, the BRCGS introduced BRCGS Storage and Distribution Standard version 4. Learn more about the changes.

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GFSI and JASANZ accredited Standards

BRCGS Global Standard for Packaging Materials – Issue 6

The standard sets out the requirements for the manufacture of packaging materials that are used in production of, and filling operations for, food, hygiene-sensitive consumer products (including cosmetics), raw materials, and other consumer products.The Standard is based on the key components of, senior management commitment, risk assessment of the product and manufacturing process, and a systematic approach to managing product quality and safety.

BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety – Issue 9

The Standard has been developed to specify the food safety, authenticity, quality and operational criteria required within a food manufacturing organisation to fulfil obligations with regard to legal compliance and protection of the consumer.The standard is based on four key components, senior management commitment, the development of a food safety plan – a HACCP-based hazard and risk assessment system )which provides a step-step approach to managing food safety risks), a product safety and quality management system and the establishment of prerequisite programmes.

BRCGS Global Standard for Storage and Distribution – Issue 4

The Standard is designed to reflect best practice and facilitate a process of continual improvement through well-designed risk-based product safety management systems. The objective is to ensure that the quality and safety of products are maintained during their storage and distribution (and where subject to other activities such as wholesale, contracted services, e-commerce etc).The Standard is divided into 9 sections with section 1-3 setting out the key principles of , senior management commitment, Risk based systems and quality management system, the later sections focus on the more specific requirements of particular aspects of the operation.

BRCGS Global Standard for Agents and Brokers – Issue 3

The Standard sets out the requirements for companies in the food, packaging and consumer products supply chain that buy, sell or facilitate the trade of products and may provide additional service such as purchase, importation or distribution of products, but do not manufacture or process those products.Three of the key components of the standard are Senior management commitment, hazard and risk assessment (a step-by-step approach to managing product safety risks) and supplier and subcontracted service management.

Non-accredited Standards

BRCGS Global Standard Gluten-Free – Issue 4

The Standard set out the requirements for the manufacture, processing and packing of, processed foods (both own brand and customer-branded), ingredients for use by food service companies, catering companies and/or food manufacture, pet foods, cosmetics and natural health products. Although, pet foods and cosmetics are not eligible for use of the AOECS Crossed Grain Trademark and, Natural Health products need further clarification from the relevant AOCS member society.The Standard is based on five key components, Senior management commitment, the implementation of food safety plan – a HACCP based hazard and risk assessment system (which provides a step-by-step approach to managing food safety risks), the establishment of prerequisite programmes, a robust gluten- free management system, product control.

BRCGS Global Standard Plant-Based – Issue 1

The Standard is based on a comprehensive management system approach and provides a framework for manufacturers to assist them in the production of plant-based food. It includes operational criteria required to be in place to ensure that plant-based products are free of material of animal origin.The Standard applies only to the control of animal inputs in plant-based products, in the manufacture, processing and packing of, processed foods, both own brand and customer branded, ingredients for use by food service companies, catering companies, and food manufacturers, pet foods (GFSI benchmarked schemes only) and natural health products.

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