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Enhancements Details - Global Standard for Food Safety
The publication The BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 5 follows an extensive
benchmarking and consultation process. The following details the enhancements from Issue 4.
The Standard’s name has been revised to reflect its international appeal. It does not contain
‘BRC’ in the title and is now the Global Standard for Food Safety.
The Standard is written from the perspective of a company undergoing audit and includes the
following:
•Update of terminology - evaluation / evaluator now referred to as audit and auditor
•Introduction to BRC Global Standards Directory
•Link with other BRC Standards
•Qualifications, Training and Experience Requirements for Auditors
•Certificate Template
Optional Unannounced audits
In order to demonstrate confidence in their quality and safety systems, companies may elect to
undertake optional unannounced audits. This may influence the frequency of customer audit,
where conducted, and other performance procedures applied by the customer.
The decision to participate in the scheme rests with the company, and is open to those companies
who have been awarded certification grades A or B in their normal annual audit.
The unannounced audit will occur at any stage within the 12 month duration of the existing
certificate, but will typically occur within the 6-12 month time frame.
The audit will, as for the normal annual audit, examine all aspects of the company’s systems
against the requirements of the Global Standard for Food Safety. The grading criteria will be as
for an announced audit.
Successful completion of the audit will result in the awarding of certification grade A, B or C.
The unannounced audit will be distinguished by an *, so companies completing the audit will be
awarded Grade A*, B* or C* where * indicates an unannounced audit. This grade will appear on
the certificate, which will supersede the existing certificate. The existing certificate will be
revoked.
If the company wishes to remain in the optional unannounced audit scheme the next audit will
occur at any stage within the duration of the certificate. If the company wishes to withdraw from
the optional unannounced audit scheme, the next audit will be announced and will occur at the
end of the period covered by the certificate awarded at the unannounced audit.
Grading
A more rigorous grading scheme for grades B, C and D has been introduced with a revisit by the
certification body required within 28 days to verify corrective actions for Grade C as well as audit
frequency reduced to 6 months. For full details see Appendix 1.
Product Categories
These have been reviewed and updated and are now cross referenced with fields of audit
pertinent to auditor requirements. This listing is more clearly based on product technologies. See
Appendix 2 for the full product category list.
Report Format
The report format has been updated to provide enhanced presentation of information to the user
and report owner.
Auditor Qualifications
Details on the requirements for auditors is now included within the Standard to ensure
transparency and allow companies to verify auditor qualifications.
Audit Protocol
Clarification of some further audit protocol points include:
Auditor selection – as guidance the same auditor should not carry out more than 3
consecutive visits to a site.
Action to be taken by company and certification body detailed when extension to scope is
required.
Details requirement for BRC administration fee (currently £75).
Clarification of non conformity against fundamental = non conformity against statement
of intent.
Corrective action time now clearly stated as 28 calendar days.
Justifiable circumstances for certificate expiry defined – the requirements now include a
penalty of a major non conformity if the company goes out of certification (clause 1.11).
Definition and actions required for certification of seasonal products.
Feedback and complaints to the BRC are encouraged. Details on how to do this are
included. The company has the right to appeal to the certification body within 7 calendar
days of a certification decision.
Glossary of terms updated.
Requirements Clauses
The requirements have been reviewed and expanded (now consisting of 326 clauses from 270 in
Issue 4). These provide more detailed guidance and clarity to facilitate interpretation for
certification bodies and companies. Requirements have been slightly re-ordered and some
deleted, therefore section numbers have been updated.
To assist companies in the implementation of requirements details are shown in bullet-pointed
lists. Where the phrases ‘may include’ and ‘not an exhaustive list’ are stated, then this points are
provided as a guideline as to what to include in a policy or procedure and each should be
considered, although it may not be pertinent to the process or company to include all these points.
Where ‘shall include’ and ‘as a minimum’ precede bullet-pointed lists, all these points must be
inclided and shall be included in the audit by the auditor.
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