BRCGS stands for Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standard. Originally known as the British Retail Consortium, BRCGS is now a leading global food safety and quality certification program.

In simple terms, BRCGS provides a detailed set of requirements that a food manufacturing facility must meet to prove it is producing safe, legal, and authentic food products. The standard is benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), an industry-driven collaboration to advance food safety. This GFSI recognition means that BRCGS certification is accepted by retailers and buyers worldwide.

According to BRCGS, its standards are used by over 30,000 certified suppliers in more than 130 countries.

Achieving BRCGS certification demonstrates a high level of competence in food safety and quality management. The primary benefits include:

Achieve Global Recognition and Market Access

• GFSI Recognition: As a GFSI-benchmarked standard, BRCGS is accepted by major international retailers, reducing the need for multiple, separate customer audits.

• Expanded Customer Base: Many of the world's top retailers, food service companies, and brand owners require their suppliers to hold a GFSI-recognized certification like BRCGS.

• Private Label Production: Certification is often a prerequisite for manufacturing private label products for major brands.

Enhance Food Safety and Reduce Risk

• Structured Framework: The standard provides a clear, risk-based framework for managing food safety and quality, built on the principles of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points).

• Reduced Incidents: A documented and well-managed system helps minimize the risk of food safety incidents, recalls, and product withdrawals.

• Improved Consistency: Implementing the standard drives consistency in production processes, leading to more reliable product quality.

Improve Operational Efficiency

• Streamlined Processes: The standard encourages a systematic approach to management, which can identify and eliminate inefficiencies in your operations.

• Due Diligence Defense: In the event of a food safety incident, certification provides evidence that you have taken reasonable precautions and exercised due diligence.

The path to BRCGS certification follows a structured process, ensuring that all requirements are properly implemented and verified by an accredited third-party certification body.

Step 1: Preparation and Self-Assessment

First, obtain the latest version of the BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety (currently Issue 9). Your team should thoroughly review the standard’s requirements and conduct an internal gap analysis to identify areas that do not yet meet the criteria.

Step 2: Select a Certification Body

You must choose an accredited certification body (like us) to perform your audit. The certification body must be approved by BRCGS to audit against the specific standard.

Step 3: The Certification Audit

A qualified auditor from the certification body will conduct an on-site audit of your facility. This comprehensive evaluation includes:

• A review of your documented food safety management system (including HACCP plans, procedures, and records).

• An inspection of the production facility, equipment, and environment.

• Interviews with key personnel to verify their understanding and implementation of procedures.

Step 4: Corrective Actions

After the audit, you will receive a report detailing any non-conformities found. A non-conformity is an instance where your facility fails to meet a specific requirement of the standard. You will typically have 28 days to provide evidence of effective corrective actions to resolve these issues.

Step 5: Certification Decision and Reporting

Once the certification body has verified your corrective actions, it will make a final certification decision. If successful, you will be issued a certificate and your audit report will be uploaded to the BRCGS Directory, making your certification status visible to customers and stakeholders. Your grade (e.g., AA, A, B) will depend on the number and severity of non-conformities identified during the audit.

Step 6: Ongoing Compliance

BRCGS certification is typically valid for one year. You must maintain compliance and undergo an annual re-certification audit to retain your status.