Businesses operating in the food industry need to meet international standards to guarantee product safety, quality, and legal compliance. That’s when BRCGS certification helps businesses. BRCGS certification (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards) is one of India’s most widely accepted food safety audit certifications. If you plan to apply for or renew your BRCGS certification, a successful BRCGS audit is important.
In this guide, you will learn how to prepare for a BRCGS audit, BRCGS requirements and documents, and how Legal4sure, a leading BRCGS consultant in India, can help you prepare for and succeed in 2025.
What Is A BRCGS Audit?
BRCGS audit, also known as BRC audit (British Retail Consortium), is a complete evaluation made to assess your company’s adherence to the BRCGS standards, specifically focusing on food safety and quality. It serves as an important step for businesses that want to achieve BRCGS certification. Brands across the entire food supply chain, like food producers, manufacturers, packaging suppliers, and storage and distribution, are eligible for the BRCGS certification and audit.
A BRCGS audit examines company’s operations, from food safety practices and quality management systems to work operations and employee training, are meeting the BRCGS standards.
Read More: What Is BRCGS Certification? All You Need To Know
Benefits Of BRCGS Audit
Undergoing a BRCGS audit for food safety and achieving certification offers multiple operational, regulatory, and commercial advantages for businesses in the food supply chain:
1. Global Market Access
BRCGS certification for packaging materials is recognized in over 130 countries and accepted by major global retailers like Tesco, Walmart, and Sainsbury’s. It opens doors to international trade and export opportunities.
2. Increased Food Safety and Quality
The audit enforces strict compliance with HACCP, GMP, and risk-based food safety management systems, significantly improving product safety and consistency.
3. Reduced Risk of Product Recalls
With structured traceability, allergen control, and process control systems, BRCGS-certified companies are less likely to experience costly recalls or consumer complaints.
4. Improved Supplier and Retailer Trust
BRCGS packaging certification in India boosts your brand’s credibility and gives confidence to buyers, retailers, and partners that your products meet high safety and quality standards.
5. Stronger Brand Reputation
The BRCGS logo on your packaging shows a commitment to food safety and quality, increasing consumer trust and brand value.
Read More: Challenges in BRCGS Audit
Key Areas Assessed During The BRCGS Audit
1. Food Safety Management System
Evaluates the company’s systems for hazard analysis, risk assessment, and management of critical control points (HACCP). Auditors assess the food safety plan’s design, implementation, and ongoing management.
2. Site Standards
Assesses the physical condition and hygiene of the site, including cleanliness, maintenance, pest control, waste management, and facility layout to prevent cross-contamination.
3. Product Control
Examines processes related to allergen control, product formulation, and testing. It also includes food fraud prevention measures and verification of accurate product labeling.
4. Process Control
Covers operational controls such as cooking, cooling, reheating, and cross-contamination prevention, ensuring consistency in safe food production.
5. Personnel
Reviews staff training, hygiene practices, health screening, and the use of protective clothing to ensure that all personnel meet food safety standards.
6. Management Commitment
Evaluates leadership engagement in promoting a strong food safety culture, including communication of objectives, resource allocation, and commitment to continuous improvement.
BRCGS Audit Grading System
| Grade | Criteria |
| AA | No more than 5 minors |
| A | Between 5 and 10 minors |
| B | 11 to 16 minors, or 1 major and up to 10 minors |
| C | 17 to 24 minors, or 1 major and up to 16 minors, or 2 majors and up to 10 minors |
| D | 25 to 30 minors, or 1 major and up to 24 minors, or 2 majors and up to 16 minors |
| Unspecified | 1 or more critical, 31 or more minors, 1 major and 25 or more minors, 2 majors and 17 or more minors, or 3 or more majors |
How To Prepare For A BRCGS Audit For Successful Certification?
A BRCGS audit is about showing that food safety is maintained in your daily operations. By focusing on documentation, internal audits, employee training, and proactive compliance, you can successfully undergo your audit and achieve BRCGS certification for food exports.
Need expert guidance? Contact us for pre-assessments, formal BRCGS audits, and ongoing support to help you meet BRCGS certification requirements.
Preparation & Management of Documents
Proper preparation and management of BRCGS documents are key to passing audits and achieving certification. Businesses must maintain essential records like food safety policies, HACCP plans, GMP procedures, training logs, and audit reports to ensure compliance and traceability. Maintaining documents improves consistency, while expert support from consultants like Legal4sure helps ensure your documentation meets all BRCGS requirements.
Conduct Internal Audits
Internal audits help to identify gaps for non-conformities in compliance, assess the effectiveness of your food safety systems, and ensure that all procedures meet the BRCGS standards. Mock audits should be planned, documented, and cover all areas of the BRCGS standard, like HACCP, GMP, and traceability. They help businesses to correct issues proactively before the actual BRCGS certification audit.
Develop procedures to show compliance with fundamental clauses
To comply with BRCGS fundamental clauses, businesses must create clear and structured procedures for key areas. Regular reviews, staff training, and record keeping are important to prove that these procedures are not only in place but also effectively implemented, helping show full compliance during BRCGS audits. Also, develop SOPs to show compliance with the standard.
Prepare your team for questions from Auditors
Training your team with BRCGS safety standards is an important step for the final BRCGS audit. The auditors will ask employees questions about food safety practices, and their responses matter. Focus on employees’ understanding, conduct internal interviews, and ensure that employees know where to find key records.
Verify the written procedures
Before the final BRCGS audit, verify whether written procedures are in practice or not. Check the hygiene and sanitation procedures and critical control points, both are written and maintained properly. And also, the corrective actions are properly followed.
Schedule a Pre-assessment BRCGS audit
Even if you feel confident in your preparation, a pre-assessment audit can reveal blind spots before the real BRCGS audit. Legal4sure can help you conduct a pre-assessment and help identify areas that need improvement. This provides an opportunity to correct minor issues before the final BRCGS audit for food exporters.
BRCGS Audit Requirements
The BRCGS food safety standard is built around fundamental clauses – critical food safety requirements that, if not complied with, lead to audit failure. In BRCGS Standard Issue 9, they include the requirements:
- Senior Management Commitment- Ensures top management is committed to food safety, quality, and continuous improvement.
- The BRC Food Safety Plan (HACCP)- Implementation of a HACCP-based system to identify, evaluate, and control food safety hazards.
- Food Safety & Quality Management System- Establishes documented policies, procedures, and records for food safety compliance.
- Site Standards- Covers facility layout, maintenance, cleaning, pest control, and waste management to ensure hygiene and safety.
- Product Control- Ensures raw materials, packaging, and finished products meet safety and quality standards, including allergen control.
- Process Control- Covers production and process management, including traceability, calibration, and foreign body detection.
- Personnel- Focuses on staff hygiene, training, and health monitoring to maintain food safety.
- High-Risk, High-Care & Ambient High-Care Production Risk Zones- Defines additional controls for areas handling ready-to-eat or high-risk foods.
- Requirements for Traded Products- Ensures safety and compliance for products bought from suppliers and resold without further processing.
Read More: BRCGS Certification Cost
How Legal4sure Can Help You Pass The BRCGS Audit Smoothly?
| Step No. | Process | Description |
| 1 | Initial Consultation | Understanding client needs and audit objectives. |
| 2 | Gap Assessment | Conducting a thorough assessment of current practices against BRCGS Issue 7. |
| 3 | Action Plan Development | Creating a detailed corrective action plan. |
| 4 | Training Sessions | Training staff on BRCGS requirements and best practices. |
| 5 | Document Preparation | Assisting in the preparation of all necessary documentation. |
| 6 | Mock Audit | Conduct a trial audit to identify any remaining issues. |
| 7 | Corrective Actions | Addressing non-conformities identified during the mock audit. |
| 8 | Final Audit Coordination | Coordinating with certification bodies for the final audit. |
| 9 | Audit Support | Providing on-site or remote support during the audit. |
| 10 | Post-Audit Review | Reviewing audit outcomes and assisting with any required follow-up actions. |
Download Your Free BRCGS Audit Checklist!
Not sure if your facility is BRCGS audit-ready? Download our FREE BRCGS Audit Readiness Checklist to assess your compliance and avoid costly mistakes.
- Find Areas That Need Improvement
- Make Your Documentation Better
- Get Certified Faster
Get a Free Consultation Today From Our BRCGS Audit Experts!
Legal4sure helps you to complete all the required steps of the BRCGS audit with perfection and effectiveness to make sure that your food business follows all the BRCGS standard rules. Having served 400+ clients with BRCGS implementation with 50+ BRCGS certifications, we at Legal4sure, the best BRCGS consultant in India, have enhanced our skills and attained expertise.
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Email: info@legal4sure.in
