The BRC Food Safety standard provides a framework for the management of product safety, integrity, legality and quality by defining the necessary operational controls for manufacturing, processing and packing of food and food ingredients. BRC Global Standards for Food Safety, Packaging and Packaging Materials, Storage and Distribution, Consumer Products, Agents and Brokers, Retail, and Gluten Free set the benchmark for good manufacturing practice, and help provide assurance to customers that your products are safe, legal and of high quality.
The requirements of the standard address the key elements that must be in place for your organization to ensure production of safe product. BRC Certification is recognized by GFSI, an important consideration when choosing a certification scheme because many major manufacturers and retailers require a GFSI recognized certification.
The Global Standard for Food Safety is divided into nine sections:
1. SENIOR MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT
Commitment at a senior level is essential in the development of a good food safety culture and is therefore necessary for any food safety system to be effective and to ensure the full application and continual development of these systems.
2. THE FOOD SAFETY PLAN – HACCP
Effective hazard and risk analysis enables the company to identify and manage those hazards that may pose a risk to the safety, quality and integrity of their products. The Standard requires the development of an effective hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) programme based on the requirements of the internationally recognised Codex Alimentarius system.
3. FOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
This section ensures the company works to well-documented, systematic management systems that form the basis for the product and process controls necessary to produce safe products, meet customer expectations and ensure staff are trained.
4. SITE STANDARDS
This covers the suitability, cleanliness and control of the site and includes topics such as factory conditions, cleaning, equipment, pest control, foreign body controls and food defence /site security.
5. PRODUCT CONTROL
Establishing product controls such as allergen management, the prevention of food fraud and product testing are important in the reliable delivery of safe, authentic products.
6. PROCESS CONTROL
These requirements ensure that the documented HACCP plan is put into operation on a daily basis, together with effective procedures to consistently manufacture the product to the correct quality.
7. PERSONNEL
Training, protective clothing and hygiene practices are covered in this section.
8. HIGH-RISK, HIGH-CARE AND AMBIENT HIGH-CARE PRODUCTION RISK ZONES
A specific section of the Standard dealing with products that are susceptible to potential pathogen contamination and therefore need additional controls to ensure product safety.
9. REQUIREMENTS FOR TRADED PRODUCTS
A voluntary additional section of the Standard for sites that purchase and sell food products that would normally fall within the scope of the Standard and are stored at the site’s facilities, but which are not manufactured, further processed or packed at the site being audited.
