BRC (British Retail Consortium)
- Details
- Category: FSMS
- Published on 26 April 2014
BRC first issued the Global Food Standard in 1998 with the intention of eliminating multiple audits by retailer and third party auditors on food manufacturers supplying UK retailers with their own brand products.
This standard is used as the benchmark for food safety management and has been extensively revised to reflect EU legislation and continuous best practice requirements.
It possesses a comprehensive scope covering all areas of product safety and legality issues and addresses part of the due diligence required of both the supplier and the retailer.
The BRC standard has now become the internationally recognized mark of excellence. Certification to the standard verifies technical competence and aids suppliers', brand owners' and retailers' fulfillment of legal obligations. It also safeguards the consumer.
The retailers, food producers, importers, caterers, ingredient suppliers and the food service industry can all benefit greatly from this essential standard. It is currently used by suppliers in Europe, Africa, North and South America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East.
For all companies producing and delivering consumer goods for trademark products (especially for the UK market) with regard to the request of trade chains to document evidence for product safety, - quality and -legality.
These food quality and safety standards are published by retail trade groups. Any company wishing to supply its food products to those retailers must meet the required standards. The retailers request that an independent third party approves the quality and food safety system of the supplier.
The standard has been adopted by food manufacturers throughout the world, especially by those organizations supplying British retailers. Third-party certification to the standard helps manufacturers, brand owners and retailers fulfill their legal obligations and safeguard consumers. The standard covers a comprehensive scope of product safety areas, as well as the legal and due diligence responsibilities of both the supplier and the retailer.
BRC is particularly suitable for companies supplying food products to UK retailers, regardless of the product or country of origin. In most cases certification to this standard is a pre-condition for supplying to UK retailers.
The principal requirements of the standard are the adoption and implementation of a HACCP system, a documented and effective quality management system and a control of factory environmental standards, products, processes and personnel.
BRC StandardRequirements
Your company must meet the following criteria in order to be certified under BRC:
• You already work with the HACCP standard.
• You have introduced and documented an effective quality management system.
• You conduct regular internal inspections of products, processes and personnel.
BRC Benefits
• Stabilization of customer confidence
• Stabilization of trading companies in product safety, -quality and –legality
• Higher product security
• Lower product liability risks
• Systematic analysis, implementation of safe and more efficient process cycles in the sense of product security and steering of processes
• Timely notice of consumer risks concerning hygiene and security of consumer goods. Definition of appropriate preventive measures.
• Business Challenge
• Demand for food safety is growing. Consumers and authorities increasingly demand that the food we eat should offer high levels of quality and security. If a problem occurs, the source of error needs to be found quickly and the problem rectified.
• Demands are typically directed to the retail trade first, but responsibility now spreads through the entire food chain to include food producers, primary producers and transporters.
Other key benefits:
- Access to your markets in the UK, Germany and France
- Strengthened relationships with retail distributors
- Increased transparency
- Reinforced customer confidence
- Streamlined production
- Minimization of significant food risks
- Effective control of internal processes and minimizing risk of failure
- Signal sent about a proactive approach to food safety
- Focus kept on your essential challenges
Oxford Cert Services
• Certification - we can provide assessment and certification to this standard.
• Internal Audit Assessments - Oxford Cert offer gap analysis, preliminary assessments to prepare you for certification.
• Training -Oxford Cert offer training which will prepare you and your staff before and after the certification process.
Oxford Cert provides food sector inspection and support services to food packaging manufacturers and suppliers needing to comply with the requirements of this standard..
An Oxford Cert assessor who meets the qualification requirements of the BRC conducts the evaluation visit to identify how effectively the requirements of the standard are being met by the manufacturer or supplier. When your organisation satisfies the requirements, Oxford Cert issues you with a certificate of approval.
Evaluation visits can be combined with other Oxford Cert services such as ISO 9001 assessment and surveillance visits.