BRC certification, the definitive guide

BRC certification, the definitive guide

If you work in quality within the food industry, it's very likely that BRC certification is already part of your day to day or is on your roadmap for the coming months. It's one of the most internationally recognized food safety standards, and achieving it —or maintaining it— requires systematic, documented and constant work. In this guide we explain everything you need to know: what it is, who it applies to, how the standard is structured and how you can prepare your organization to pass the audit with confidence.

What BRCGS certification is and who it applies to

The BRCGS standard (formerly known simply as BRC) is a global food safety standard developed by the BRCGS (British Retail Consortium Global Standards) (BRCGS, n.d.). It emerged in the United Kingdom in the late 1990s to meet large retailers' need to assess the safety and quality of their suppliers consistently, and since then has become a global benchmark recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) (GFSI, n.d.).

The certification applies mainly to food manufacturers and processors that supply large retail chains, supermarkets, foodservice operators or any customer requiring formal guarantees on food safety management. Companies from other links in the chain can also be certified through variants of the standard, such as BRCGS Packaging, BRCGS Storage & Distribution or BRCGS Agents & Brokers. In this article we focus on the most widespread version: BRC Food, currently in its 9th edition.

Si quieres entender cómo encaja esta norma dentro del ecosistema más amplio de estándares de calidad y seguridad alimentaria, te recomendamos que leas nuestro artículo sobre normas y estándares de calidad en el sector agroalimentario.

Structure and requirements of the BRCGS standard

The BRC Food standard is organized around a series of sections covering all the critical aspects of safe food production. Knowing its structure well is the first step to addressing the BRC requirements in an orderly way.

The standard is structured around the following main blocks:

• Senior management commitment: the certification requires management to actively lead the food safety management system, not simply endorse it. Regular reviews, adequate resources and a culture of continuous improvement are required.
• Food safety plan (HACCP): is the technical core of the standard. A duly documented, validated and maintained Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points system must be in place. This system must be based on the principles of the Codex Alimentarius.
• Food safety and quality management system: includes document control, non-conformity management, corrective actions, internal audits and complaint management.
• Site standards: facility design and maintenance, pest control, cleaning and disinfection, waste management and water control.
• Product control: allergen management, traceability, foreign body control, product inspection and testing, and shelf-life management.
• Process control: validation and control of production parameters, management of measuring equipment and calibration.
• Personnel: training, hygiene, staff facilities and supervision.
• High-risk, high-care and ambient areas: additional specific requirements depending on the type of product and process.
• Purchasing requirements: approval and monitoring of suppliers and raw materials.

One of the distinguishing features of BRC Food is the requirement scoring system. Some are marked as fundamental —non-compliance with which automatically means failing the audit— and the rest are graded according to the severity of the deviation detected. Understanding this hierarchy is key to prioritizing efforts during preparation.

How to prepare for the BRC audit

Passing an BRC audit requires ongoing preparation, not just a last-minute sprint. These are the key steps we recommend to quality managers:

1. Carry out a situation diagnosis (gap analysis). Compare the current state of your management system against each of the standard's requirements. Identify gaps, prioritize actions and set up a work plan with clear owners and due dates.

2. Secure documentation and records. The standard requires evidence that processes are managed correctly and systematically. This includes up-to-date procedures, validated HACCP plans, process control records, calibrations, tests, internal audits, training and corrective actions. Without records, there's no evidence.

3. Carry out regular internal audits. Las auditorías internas son un requisito explícito de la norma y, además, son la mejor herramienta para detectar desviaciones antes de que las encuentre el auditor externo. Puedes ampliar información sobre cómo estructurar este proceso en nuestro artículo sobre auditoría ISO 9001, cuyos principios de auditoría son perfectamente extrapolables.

4. Involve management and all departments. BRC certification isn't just the quality department's responsibility. Production, maintenance, logistics, purchasing and human resources all have active roles. Management must show visible, committed leadership.

5. Manage non-conformities rigorously. Every deviation detected —whether in internal audits or in day-to-day operations— must be handled through a formal root cause analysis and corrective action process. The history of non-conformities and their resolution is one of the elements external auditors scrutinize most closely.

6. Prepare the team for audit day. Staff must know the system, be able to answer questions about their processes and have quick access to the records relevant to them. Training and internal communication are as important as documentation.

How Solved gathers evidence and records for BRC

One of the biggest challenges quality managers face when preparing for a BRC audit is scattered information: paper records, spreadsheets disconnected, emails with attachments… Gathering all the evidence when the auditor requests it can become a source of stress and errors.

Solved is quality software designed specifically for the food industry that centralizes all food safety and quality management in a single digital platform. This has a direct and very tangible impact on preparing for and maintaining BRC certification:

• Digital records in real time: all process checks, tests, calibrations, cleanings and verifications are recorded in the system the moment they're carried out, with full traceability of who, when and what.
• Non-conformity and corrective action management: the entire flow from detection to closure is documented, making it easier to demonstrate continuous improvement to the auditor.
• Internal audits and checklists: Solved lets you schedule and carry out internal audits with criteria aligned to BRC requirements, generating automatic reports ready for review.
• Document management: up-to-date procedures, instructions and plans, accessible to the whole team and with version control.
• Traceability and allergen management: structured information that lets you respond within minutes to any auditor request about batches, raw materials or incidents.

In short, Solved turns quality management into a continuous, organized and easily auditable process, instead of a reactive effort concentrated in the days before the audit. If you want to see how it can help with your certification process, feel free to book a demo.

References

• BRCGS. (n.d.). BRCGS Global Standards. https://www.brcgs.com/
• Global Food Safety Initiative. (n.d.). Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). https://mygfsi.com/