If you are in the food industry, we are sure you’ve heard of BRC. Food businesses like yours must deal with a slew of safety hazards each day, including cleaning chemicals, pieces of debris, bacteria, viruses, toxins, and other contaminants. It is a real risk to have your brand misunderstood by a customer. One small mistake can blow everything apart.
To protect your customers and brand, food safety training and education is a great way to do that. In this blog, we will answer the question, “What is BRC certification?”
What Does BRCGS Stand For?
It previously used to stand for “British Retail Consortium”
BRCGS now stands for “Brand Reputation Through Compliance Global Standard”
In order to help companies comply with UK and EU food safety legislation, it was established by the UK Trade Organization and it is recognized around the world.
What is BRC Certification?
The BRC certification became an international standard for food safety and quality practices in the food industry. Moreover, the requirements of UK and UE food safety legislation are very important. So, your organization must follow these parameters to ensure food is produced safely.
According to FSNS, it’s worth noting that the BRC Global Standard is the first standard to introduce food safety culture requirements. Today, it is accepted by 70% of the top 10 retailers worldwide and adopted by more than 29,000 sites in 130 countries.
How to Prepare for a BRC Audit?
- Step 1: Perform a Self-Assessment
- Step 2: Choose a certification body
- Step 3: Set a date
- Step 4: Get your team involved
- Step 5: Ensure all documents are in order
- Step 6: Create a BRC Audit checklist
The Benefits of BRC Certification
It Will Protect Your Customers
Being in the service industry, what’s more important than the safety of your customers? One of the most important reasons to comply with BRC’s food safety and quality standards is that it helps protect your customers from health risks. Hence, the BRCGS framework will help you implement the best practices in everything related to food.
Level Up Your Brand Image
If you want to be a reliable food manufacturer, gaining the BRC certificate can be amazing for your brand. Moreover, since this is an internationally recognized mark of food quality, people would be able to trust your brand more. Hence, you are providing proof to people that you are committed to providing responsible food production.
BRC Certification Is Worth the Investment
As we said before, the BRCGS guidelines are comprehensive. So, earning this certification is not so easy. Furthermore, you have to invest time and resources into food safety training.
However, what you need to do is know that this investment is absolutely worthwhile. It will benefit your brand in ways you won’t realize.
BRC Audits: What to Expect
- HACCP
- Food safety and quality management systems
- Site standards
- Product controls
- Senior management commitment
If you have questions, are ready to schedule a BRC audit with RRCS, or anything in between, contact our Certification and Audit specialists for help.
