BRC CERTIFICATION
BRC CERTIFICATION
The full form of BRC in BRC Certification is the British Retail Consortium. It is a British trade association launched by the UK food retail industry, during the merger of the British Retailers’ Association and the Retail Consortium, in January 1992. In the year of 1998, BRC produced its first edition of the food safety standard. The British Retail Consortium has proposed various standards and those standards need to be fulfilled by the suppliers of the world who are willing to supply food items to retailers based in Europe, the United Kingdom, and North America including Sainsbury, Tesco, and other states.
The British Retail Consortium represents retailers based in the United Kingdom and it has developed the global standards for global food safety. Among those standards, BRC Global Standard for Food Safety is the most recognized one and it is necessary to be adopted and complied with by food suppliers from all around the world especially the suppliers who are engaged in supplying food products to the United Kingdom based retailers.
STANDARDS AND PROTOCOLS PROVIDED BY BRC
BRC provides standards and protocols for suppliers, the manner of packaging, and materials for packaging, for storage and distribution of food, agents, and brokers, and retail. Those standards are as follows.
- BRC published the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety for the first time in 1998.
- BRC provided the GFSI recognized BRC Global Standard for food safety in 2000.
- BRC provided the BRC Global Standard for methods of packaging and materials for packaging in 2001.
- BRC provided BRC Global Standard for Consumer Products Issue 4in 2003
- BRC provided BRC Global Standard related to the Storage and Distribution Issue 3 in 2006.
- BRC provided the BRC Global Standard for Agents and Brokers in 2014.
- BRC provided the BRC Global Standard for Retail in 2016.
BENEFITS OF GETTING THE BRC CERTIFICATION
There are various benefits of getting the BRC Certification. Some of them are given below-
- One of the most important benefits of getting the BRC Certification is that it ensures that the final consumers will receive the products in safe and quality condition.
- It helps in maintaining communication with the chain of distribution parties through the BRC Directory.
- It brings credibility to the supplier and the retailer among the consumers.
- It makes the entry of the supplier to the international market easier.
- It ensures the safe and quality placing and distribution of food in the consumer market.
- It helps in making compliances related to food legislation.
- It ensures the traceability of the product.
- It also ensures the safety of food crops.
VARIOUS STANDARDS AVAILABLE FOR BRC CERTIFICATION
The various standards and protocols regarding the BRC Certification are given below-
- BRC Global Standard related to the Food Safety, Issue 7
BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 7 was published in the year 1998 for the first time. Before that, there was BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 6, but food security was not standing still, for example, new challenges and risks related to legislation were emerging, hence we needed an updated version. Therefore Issue 7 is one of the leading food Safety standards.
- BRC Global Standard related with the Storage and Distribution, Issue 3
This came in the year 2003 and its latest version came in August 2016. It is one of the most recognized standards provided by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). This was given for maintaining standards by the suppliers for storing and distributing the food products.
- BRC Global Standard for methods of packaging and materials for packaging Issue 5
It came in the year 2001. It is also provided by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). This was made with the intent of providing good packaging for the products so that they can be delivered to the consumer in a good condition.
- BRC Global Standard for Agents and Brokers
It came in the year 2014. In the packaging and the food industry, the BRC Global Standard for Agents and Brokers plays a vital role in managing product quality and safety. It also provides legal criteria for being the agent or broker in that particular field.
- BRC Global Standard for Retail
It came in the year 2016. This is launched for the institutions that were involved in the process as the retailer.
- BRC Global Standard for Consumer Issue 4
It also came in the year 2016. But it got revised after some time and now it categorizes consumer products standards in two ways.
- consumer products standards for the purpose of personal use, care, and household
- consumer products standards for the purpose of General Merchandise
- BRC Global Standard with related to Food Safety Issue 8
BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 8 is the most famous BRC Certificate in the Indian market. This Certificate is given by the internationally recognized certifying body that has the license to provide a declaration for the BRC Global Standard for food safety Issue 8. This Certificate is provided for the duration of three years. This certificate focuses on the sanitation of the food inside the food association.
THE BRC CERTIFICATION PROCEDURE INVOLVES SEVERAL STEPS:
Preparation and Gap Analysis: The first step is to familiarize yourself with the BRC Standard that applies to your specific industry sector (e.g., BRC Food, BRC Packaging, BRC Storage and Distribution, etc.). Conduct a thorough review of your existing practices and identify gaps between your current operations and the requirements of the BRC Standard.
Internal Audit: Perform an internal audit to assess your facility's compliance with the BRC Standard. This audit helps identify any areas of non-compliance or improvement opportunities.
Corrective Actions: Address the findings from the internal audit by implementing corrective actions to rectify any non-compliance issues or deficiencies.
Document Review: Ensure that all required documentation, such as food safety plans, quality management systems, HACCP plans, and relevant procedures, are in place and up-to-date.
Staff Training: Train your employees to ensure they are aware of and understand the requirements of the BRC Standard. This is crucial to maintaining consistent compliance.
Stage 1 Audit (Documentation Review): The certification body will review your documentation to assess whether it meets the requirements of the BRC Standard. This may involve reviewing your procedures, policies, and other relevant documentation.
Stage 2 Audit (On-site Audit): The certification body will visit your facility to conduct an on-site audit. During this audit, they will verify that your practices align with the BRC Standard. They will also interview staff, observe processes, and inspect the facility.
Audit Findings and Corrective Actions: The certification body will provide you with audit findings, which can include areas of non-compliance or opportunities for improvement. You will need to address any non-conformities and implement corrective actions.
Certification Decision: Once the corrective actions are completed, the certification body will review the evidence and determine whether your facility meets the requirements for BRC certification.
Certification Issuance: If your facility successfully meets the BRC Standard requirements, the certification body will issue a BRC certificate that confirms your compliance. This certification is typically valid for a certain period and requires ongoing surveillance and recertification audits.
