BRCGS Certification

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BRCGS CERTIFICATION:

Partnering with ASI ensures your company achieves BRCGS certification efficiently, elevating food safety and quality standards. Our expert auditors provide gap analysis, conduct pre-assessment audits, deliver tailored training programs, and guide continuous improvement to help you meet BRCGS requirements and maintain compliance. With ASI’s support, you are prepared for a successful audit, enhancing market access and boosting your company’s reputation. Contact us today to start your BRCGS certification journey!

WHAT IS A BRCGS AUDIT?

A BRCGS audit is a detailed evaluation of a company’s food safety and quality management systems to verify compliance with the BRCGS (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards). It includes:

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP): Ensures effective identification and control of potential hazards.
Prerequisite Programs (PRPs): Reviews foundational programs like sanitation, pest control, and employee training.
Quality Management Systems (QMS): Evaluates processes for managing product quality, documentation, and record-keeping.
Supplier Approval and Monitoring: Assesses the processes for ensuring suppliers meet safety and quality standards.
Food Safety Culture: Examines the company's commitment to food safety practices at all organizational levels.
Non-Conformity Identification: Identifies any areas that do not meet the standards and suggests corrective actions.
Certification Readiness: Determines if the company is prepared for initial certification or recertification.

Conducted by a qualified certification body, the audit helps ensure the company produces safe, high-quality, and legally compliant products.

FROM AUDIT TO CERTIFICATION:

FSSC 22000 OVERVIEW

ASPECT	DETAILS
What is BRCGS Certification?	A globally recognized certification standard that ensures the safety, quality, and legality of food products. It covers various sectors, including food safety, packaging, and storage. BRCGS is recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).
Purpose of BRCGS	Provides a framework for managing product safety, quality, and legal requirements. It helps companies meet regulatory compliance and customer expectations, reducing risks associated with food safety and quality failures.
Industries Requiring BRCGS	- Food Manufacturing - Food Packaging - Food Storage and Distribution - Retail - Catering and Hospitality
Key Areas Covered by BRCGS	- Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) - Prerequisite Programs (PRPs) - Quality Management Systems (QMS) - Supplier Approval and Monitoring - Food Safety Culture - Product Recall and Crisis Management
Certification Process
Duration	Certification is valid for one year and requires annual audits for renewal.
Surveillance Audits	Not applicable as the certification requires a comprehensive audit annually to maintain the certification.
Recertification	Involves an annual audit to renew the certification, ensuring continued compliance with BRCGS standards.
Benefits of BRCGS Certification	Demonstrates commitment to product safety and quality, enhances market access, reduces the risk of product recalls, and ensures compliance with customer and regulatory requirements.
ASI Audit	ASI offers detailed BRCGS audits to assess compliance with the standard, identify non-conformities, and verify the effectiveness of safety and quality management practices.
How ASI Helps	ASI supports companies by providing guidance on BRCGS requirements, helping to improve safety and quality practices, ensuring compliance, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

PREPARING FOR BRCGS AUDIT:

Choosing the Right Standard: The first step involves determining the appropriate BRCGS standard for your specific business operations. The sources outline several standards, including those for food safety, plant-based products, packaging and packaging materials, and storage and distribution. You'll need to select the standard that aligns with your products and position in the supply chain.

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Pre-Audit Preparation: Before the actual audit, companies must thoroughly prepare their facilities and operations to ensure compliance with the chosen BRCGS standard. This includes:

Understanding the Standard's Requirements: You'll need to familiarize yourself with the specific criteria and requirements outlined in your chosen BRCGS standard. This might involve reviewing the standard's documentation and guidelines.
Implementing Necessary Systems and Procedures: Based on the standard's requirements, you'll need to establish and implement robust systems and procedures related to hazard analysis, risk assessment, quality management, food safety, product security, and other relevant areas. This might involve developing and documenting new policies, training staff, and making necessary changes to your operational processes.
Conducting Internal Audits: It's beneficial to conduct internal audits to identify any potential gaps or areas for improvement before the actual BRCGS audit. These internal assessments can help you address issues proactively and increase your chances of a successful certification audit.

BRCGS Audit: The core of the certification process is the audit conducted by a certified BRCGS certification body. During the audit, trained auditors will:

Review Documentation: The auditors will thoroughly examine your documented systems, policies, procedures, and records to verify compliance with the BRCGS standard. This might include reviewing your HACCP plans, quality manuals, training records, and other relevant documentation.
Inspect Facilities and Operations: The auditors will physically inspect your facilities, production lines, storage areas, and other relevant areas to assess hygiene, safety, and compliance with the standard's requirements. They will observe your operational practices and processes to ensure they align with your documented systems.
Interview Staff: Auditors may interview members of your staff at various levels to evaluate their understanding of the BRCGS standard, their roles in maintaining compliance, and the effectiveness of your training programs.

Post-Audit Review and Certification:

Addressing Non-Conformances: If the auditors identify any non-conformances or areas where your operations do not meet the BRCGS standard's requirements, you will typically be given a timeframe to address these issues.
Certification Decision: Once any necessary corrective actions have been taken, the certification body will review the audit findings and determine whether to award BRCGS certification.
Ongoing Surveillance: Achieving BRCGS certification is not a one-time event. Certified companies are typically subject to ongoing surveillance audits to ensure continued compliance with the standard's requirements. These audits help maintain the integrity of the BRCGS certification and ensure that certified businesses uphold the required standards over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is BRCGS Certification?

BRCGS (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards) certification is a globally recognized standard that ensures the safety, quality, and legality of products, covering various industries like food production, packaging, and storage. Achieving BRCGS certification helps businesses meet regulatory requirements, reduce risks, and gain customer trust, ultimately enhancing market access and protecting brand reputation.

What are the main standards under BRCGS?

Food Safety
Packaging Materials
Storage and Distribution
Agents and Brokers
Consumer Products
Gluten-Free Certification Program
Plant-Based Certification

How does BRCGS differ from other food safety standards like SQF or FSSC 22000?

While all these standards focus on food safety, BRCGS places a strong emphasis on product quality, safety, and legality, as well as supplier management and food safety culture. It also requires annual audits for recertification, whereas FSSC 22000 is based on ISO standards and has a three-year cycle with surveillance audits. SQF, another GFSI-recognized standard, integrates food quality standards more directly within its levels.

What happens if we fail an audit or identify non-conformities?

If an audit identifies non-conformities, the company must implement corrective actions within a specified timeframe to address the issues. Failure to correct major non-conformities can lead to suspension of certification. The certification body will often conduct a follow-up audit to verify that the issues have been resolved.

How long does it typically take to get certified, and what is the process?

The process generally takes 3-6 months, depending on the company’s readiness. It involves developing the necessary systems, conducting a gap analysis, implementing corrective actions, and preparing for the audit. After the audit, any non-conformities must be addressed before certification is granted.

What is a gap analysis for BRCGS?

A gap analysis for BRCGS is an evaluation process that compares a company's current food safety and quality management practices against the requirements of the BRCGS standard. It helps identify any deficiencies or gaps that need to be addressed before undergoing the official certification audit. The gap analysis includes:

Reviewing Existing Systems: Evaluates current food safety procedures, documentation, and quality management systems.
Identifying Non-Conformities: Highlights areas where current practices do not meet BRCGS requirements.
Assessing Prerequisite Programs (PRPs): Checks foundational programs such as sanitation, pest control, and training for alignment with BRCGS standards.
Evaluating Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP): Ensures that the company's hazard control measures are adequate and effective.
Providing Corrective Action Recommendations: Offers guidance on how to address identified gaps and achieve compliance.
Preparing for the Certification Audit: Helps the company strengthen its systems to meet BRCGS standards, increasing the chances of a successful certification.

A gap analysis serves as a roadmap for companies to improve their processes and achieve compliance with BRCGS requirements.

Can BRCGS certification apply to non-food products, like packaging or logistics?

Yes, BRCGS has standards for different sectors, including food safety, packaging materials, storage and distribution, consumer products, and retail. Certification can be applied to packaging materials and logistics providers, ensuring safety and quality throughout the supply chain.

What are the costs associated with BRCGS certification, including audits and corrective actions?

Costs can vary depending on the size and complexity of the organization. Expenses may include initial assessment fees, audit costs, corrective action implementation, training, and certification body fees. It’s also important to budget for annual audits to maintain certification.

BRCGS CERTIFICATION