What is the BRC? The British Retail Consortium?

What is BRC?

The inspection protocol is intended for inspecting institutions. The technical standard BRC is a comprehensive checklist (with more than 300 points), which lists all requirements for food suppliers and products. In total, more than 28,000 companies in 130 countries have already been certified. The BRC8 Food Safety consists of nine sections.

Standards requirements

• Senior management commitment
• The food safety plan – HACCP
• Food safety and quality management system
• Site standards
• Product control
• Process control
• Personnel
• High-risk, High-care and ambient High-care production risk zones
• Requirements for traded products

Audit

• In an audit, a company can meet 5 scores, namely AA, A, B, C or D.
• The score that is assigned to a company depends on the number of nonconformities it has during an audit.
• If a company achieves score AA, A or B, the audit frequency is 12 months; if a company achieves score C, the audit frequency is 6 months; and if a company achieves score D, certification is not granted.
• An unannounced audit
• There is also the possibility of conducting unannounced audits. Here you can achieve a score of AA+, A+, B+, C+ or D+, depending on the type and number of nonconformities found during the audit. The plus indicates that it was an unannounced audit.

BRC 8 issues

• BRC 8: The new requirements come into effect on February 1, 2019
• In August 2018, the eighth version was published, and as of February 1, 2019, version eight of the BRC Food is in effect.
• This will require the entire international food processing sector to comply with these terms of the BRC Global Standard For Food Safety.
• More information and news about BRC can be found on the official BRC website.

BRC 8 Food Safety Culture

• Food Safety Culture
• Senior management plan to maintain and improve the quality and food safety culture.
• In addition, the installation of a whistleblower system is requested.
• Senior management is responsible for (demonstrably) reviewing and acting on reported issues.

BRC8 Preventing human error

• All staff are expected to take it for granted that staff will report food safety and deviations from quality.
• In addition, reviews by competent personnel are required in several areas.
• Control by an authorized staff member, e.g., releasing equipment after repair or maintenance or adjusting a date code on printed labels.
• Increased requirements for staff training (e.g. HACCP team leader, but e.g. glass breaking procedure).
• Legally required training, such as Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) training when exporting to the United States.

BRC 8 TACCP and VACCP requirements

• TACCP:
  • Food Defense (TACCP) is explicitly reflected in the requirements for management verification.
  • Not only the external risks, but also the internal risks (read: own staff) are emphasized.
  • Food defense also applies to external storage of ingredients and products.
  • TACCP risk analysis actions in a documented plan with control measures.
  • This also includes the review of this plan, annually or after an incident.
  • Training on fooddefense and security procedures.
• VACCP:
  • Authenticity must also be reflected in the organization’s policies and management reviews.

BRC8 Attention

• The claim that an allergen is possibly present in a product is only allowed if it can be demonstrated, by means of a risk assessment, that cross-contamination during the production process cannot be excluded. The purpose of this condition is to limit the use of this type of claim;
• Monitoring the presence of birds is part of the pest control program.
• Preventing access to the premises, as well as preventing nesting above loading docks specifically named.

BRC fundamentals

A requirement of the standard that pertains to a system that must be well established, continuously maintained and monitored by the company as absence or poor compliance with the system will have serious implications for the integrity or safety of the product being delivered.

1. Senior management involvement and continuous improvement (1.1)
2. The food safety plan – HACCP (2)
3. Internal audits (3.4)
4. Management of suppliers of raw materials and packaging (3.5.1)
5. Corrective and preventive measures (3.7)
6. Traceability (3.9)
7. Layout, product flow and separation (4.3)
8. Housekeeping and hygiene (4.11)
9. Handling of allergens (5.3)
10. Control of operations (6.1)
11. Labeling and control of packaging (6.2)
12. Training: handling, preparation, processing, packaging and storage of raw materials (7.1)