Although the BRCGS C Grade certificate is a valid certificate, it implies that the food safety management system in a factory is at higher risk compared to what the industry considers acceptable for establishing supply chain partnerships. Factories with a BRCGS C Grade certificate will most likely pass their audit; however, they will have enough non-conformities to be ranked among the lowest on the BRCGS Audit Grades rating. This blog post elaborates on reasons why factories end up with a BRCGS C Grade, highlights how the number of BRCGS Non-Conformities results in such a grade and outlines a plan on how to improve the factory to obtain BRCGS A or BRCGS AA grades.
Understanding BRCGS Audit Grades and Where a BRCGS C Grade Fits
The Grade System for BRCGS Issue 9 has the following structure starting from the best position to the lowest one: AA, A, B, C, and finally, Uncertified. It is important to note that the grade is determined through the total amount of non-conformities found in the course of the audit and does not depend on the auditor’s assessment. The BRCGS C grade is positioned relatively low on this scale indicating that the plant obtained certification but with a substantial number of minor non-conformities or a couple of major ones and several minors.
There are two things about the table that are of greater importance to a plant that has been classified under BRCGS C grade than anything else. Firstly, the validity period for a certificate issued at C Grade gets reduced to 6 months instead of 12 months. It implies that the audit of such plants would be carried out twice as often as those of AA or A grade plants. Secondly, there is always one major non-conformity present in C Grade.
Common Reasons Factories Receive a BRCGS C Grade in a BRCGS Audit
This is because the sites that receive C grades in BRCGS do not have one major failure, but rather a combination of smaller ones from different parts of the standard. The main reasons why factories get C grades in BRCGS audits include:
- Lack of HACCP documentation – hazard analysis which has not been reviewed in case of any change of process/recipe/supplier
- Incomplete traceability test – mock recall tests which have not been performed, timed and documented regularly
- Insufficient allergen control plan – lack of allergen risk assessment, labeling control or cleaning validation after allergen changeovers
- Missing records in pest control – missing intervals in pest control inspection, trend in pest activities not solved or contractor reports not reviewed by site managers
- Not up-to-date equipment calibration and verification – metal detector, checkweigher or thermometer calibration is expired or missing
- Lack of matching training records – staff working without documented training
- Non-conformities from internal audits or the previous audit are still open
- Inconsistency in the internal audit program – internal audits planned but not performed according to audit calendar
- Incomplete management review – management review which only documents KPIs but does not lead to an action plan
Each one of these, by itself, can be considered a small nonconformity. It is when there are several of these throughout various sections of the standard, including food safety culture, HACCP, site standards, product control, and people, that the number of nonconformities becomes large enough to result in a BRCGS C Grade.
How BRCGS Non-Conformities Push a Factory Toward a BRCGS C Grade
The findings in a BRCGS audit are put in one of the three categories, but it is their combination that determines the position of a site on the BRCGS Audit Grades s cale.
The commonality of a BRCGS grade C factory is that it either has a very high minor score (17-24) or one or two majors superimposed on a moderate minor score. The importance of fixing majors lies in the fact that they have much more weight in the calculation of the total grade than do minors, as well as being the ones buyers will study closely in an audit report.
Step-By-Step BRCGS Audit Improvement Plan
Leaving the BRCGS C Grade is a well-defined project and not a one-off corrective action. Below is an example of what should happen within such a project for verification purposes.
- Identify the cause of each non-conformity – see it as an indicator and go after what it indicates about your system
- Prioritize the major findings, followed by the minor findings because majors will account for most of the weight in the score
- Do not only rework the finding; rewrite the corrective action so you won’t get the same finding in the next audit
- Assign responsibilities and deadlines to each corrective action, and identify how it will be verified
- Develop your internal audit process in such a way that the gaps are identified before the BRCGS audit
- Create a proper food safety culture programme because Issue 9 will be putting weight on culture at all levels of your organization
- Perform a mock audit to identify any remaining gaps before the next audit cycle
How to Improve a BRCGS C Grade to an A or AA Grade
The factories that transition from BRCGS C Grade to a BRCGS A Grade or BRCGS AA Grade generally have the same process that can be observed despite the variety of products produced by them.
- Cut down the number of minor findings below the A or AA level by eliminating all documentation, calibration and record keeping gaps
- Deal with the major issues by solving the problem in the system rather than the single finding in the audit report
- Shorten the corrective action cycle and close the findings well before the next audit date
- Train staff to help correct the section which was found as non-conformable in food safety
- Make sure that management is well aware of the food safety performance by holding regular meetings with documentation
All of these actions can be taken without requiring any kind of unique investments. Factories that change their BRCGS C Grade into an A or AA grade usually manage to do this without requiring huge changes to their plant through better documentation and system management.
Timeline for BRCGS Audit Grade Improvement
However, because BRCGS C Grade certification has a 6 month validity period instead of a 12 month period, the window of improvement is smaller than one would expect.
Manufacturing facilities that start their corrective process right after obtaining a BRCGS C Grade rating would usually have sufficient time for improvement prior to the 6-month period of re-certification. If corrective actions are implemented only in the last few weeks before the certification expires, the period is limited.
Key Takeaways
- A BRCGS C Grade is a legitimate certificate, however, the 6 months renewal period and the number of non-conformities imply high risk for both buyers and certification bodies.
- The C Grade score is normally obtained through a combination of several small non-conformities rather than one serious mistake.
- One or two non-conformities of high importance can suffice to get a BRCGS C Grade, and hence these must take the first place in any corrective action program.
- The difference between a BRCGS C Grade and a BRCGS A Grade or a BRCGS AA Grade is not in the specific finding reported in the audit report but rather in elimination of the root causes of these non-conformities.
- Internal audit system and food safety culture are the two most decisive factors distinguishing AA/A sites from C Grade sites
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my factory get a C grade in a BRCGS audit?
The C Grade is awarded when there are 17-24 minor non-conformity findings or when 1-2 major non-conformities and some number of minor non-conformities are found.
What are the common reasons factories receive a C grade in a BRCGS audit?
Lack of documentation, inadequate traceability testing, problems with allergen management, lack of pest control records, and overdue closure of corrective actions are the most common causes.
How to improve a BRCGS C grade to an A or AA grade?
Start by addressing major non-conformities and root causes of the problem first, and then try reducing the minor findings through proper documentation and training.
How can I improve my BRCGS grade from C to AA?
Concentrate on the elimination of the majors, address the repeating minors and enhance your internal audit/food safety culture programs before the next certification cycle.
How long is a BRCGS C Grade certificate valid?
Validity of BRCGS C grade certificate is six months whereas it’s twelve months for AA, A, and B grades.
Does a BRCGS C Grade affect buyer or retailer approval?
Yes, many buyers and brand owners need at least an A grade of BRCGS for private label or high risk supplies.
Can a factory move from a BRCGS C Grade to AA in a single audit cycle?
Yes, if all non-conformities are corrected and minor non-conformities fall under the limit of AA grade.