Food safety is becoming more important these days, as consumers these days increasingly concerned about the quality and safety of the products they buy. Step in BRCGS, the gold standard in global food safety certification. If you follow the BRCGS standards, businesses can make sure their products match the highest safety and quality marks, building trust and confidence among consumers while reducing the challenges and improving the complete operational works process. Let’s get into this and explore everything about BRCGS for a better understanding.
What is BRCGS?
BRCGS (British Retail Consortium Global Standards) is a global quality and safety certification. It sets some boundaries or criteria for food safety, production, packaging, storage, and distribution to make sure product safety and quality. This certification is important for businesses that show their dedication to producing safe, high-quality products. BRCGS certification is for all no matter whether you’re a food manufacturer, retailer, or supplier, understanding BRCGS can boost your business.
The History of BRCGS
The (BRC) British Retail Consortium was founded in 1996 by retailers who wanted to spread food safety standards across the supply chain. In 2019, BRC was rebranded as BRCGS to reflect its global reach to set high standards in food safety and quality. With time, BRCGS has expanded its scope to include not only food, but many others like packaging, storage, distribution, consumer products, and retail.
Why BRCGS Required
The BRCGS Global Food Safety Standard has set the benchmark for nearly 25 years. With over 22,000 sites in more than 130 countries. This standard is accepted by 70% of the top 10 global retailers, also, 60% of the top 10 quick-service restaurants, and 50% of the top 25 manufacturers. (Source)
Below is the list of reasons why BRCGS is important for brands:
☑️ Global Recognition: This certification is recognized worldwide, this can help the companies to expand their market reach and set an image globally. This recognition makes sure that certified companies have international standards and maintain all food safety and production practices healthily which makes them trustworthy brands across the world.
☑️ Consumer Trust: In a business, the most important thing is consumer trust. Brands work hard to gain their customer trust. As concerns are growing about food safety, consumers are more observant about the products they buy. BRCGS certification company keep safety and quality, on top and ensures trust and loyalty.
☑️ Compliance with Regulations: BRCGS helps businesses follow legal requirements in different markets. This compliance is important to save yourself from legal issues and potential recalls, which can be costly and damaging to a brand’s reputation.
☑️ Improved Business Performance: Applying BRCGS standards can lead to improved operational workflow, reduced waste, and increased product quality. This improvement translates to better business performance and profitability.
How Does the BRCGS Certification Process Work?
Getting the BRCGS certification includes various steps:
☑️ Gap Analysis: The foremost thing is to analyse the gaps, and the different factors in which the brand is lagging, before the official audit, companies often conduct a gap analysis to find the areas of improvement. This analysis helps businesses prepare for the certification audit by fulfilling the gaps accurately.
☑️ Documentation: Documentation is important. Companies are required to maintain complete documentation of their processes, procedures, and controls. This documentation is crucial for showcasing compliance with BRCGS standards.
☑️ Training: Training can make a good impact thus, it is the major aspect of BRCGS certification. Employees must be trained on BRCGS requirements and understand their roles in maintaining compliance.
☑️ Audit: A certification body conducts an audit or thorough research to assess the company’s compliance with BRCGS standards. The audit includes a thorough review of documentation, processes, and practices.
☑️ Corrective Actions: If any issues are found during the audit, the company needs to fix them. These fixes are required to get the certification.
☑️ Certification: Once the company fulfils all the BRCGS requirements, it gets the certification, which is applicable for a specified period of time. Regular audits are conducted to make sure ongoing compliance.
Types of BRCGS Standards
BRCGS gives various standards created for different sectors:
☑️ Food Safety: In this standard the focus is on food safety management systems, making sure that food products are safe, legal, and of high quality.
☑️ Packaging Materials: In this the focus is on all the manufacturers for their packaging materials, making sure that packaging is safe and suitable for the users
☑️ Storage and Distribution: In this standard main focus is on various aspects such as logistics operations, making sure that products are stored and transported safely.
☑️ Consumer Products: This standard highlights safety, quality, and legality for a big range of consumer products.
☑️ Retail: This standard is designed for retailers, focusing on product safety, quality, and operational criteria.
☑️ Agents and Brokers: This standard applies to companies that buy, sell, or ease the trade of products, making sure they maintain high standards of safety and quality.
Benefits of BRCGS Certification
✔️ Every brand wants to expand its market reach in every possible way. This certification is one of the best ways to do so. BRCGS certification opens doors to new markets and customers, as many retailers and buyers require suppliers to be BRCGS-certified.
✔️ Companies should follow the BRCGS practices so that they can manage things in a better way, food safety, and quality, must be the priority for them.
✔️ This Certification helps protect a company’s brand image by maintaining high standards, also, reducing the risk of reputational damage.
✔️ Applying BRCGS standards helps you to maintain an efficient workflow, as processes are aligned and waste is reduced.
✔️ BRCGS support a culture of regular improvement, with continuous audits and updates to standards making sure that companies stay ahead in the market.
Conclusion
BRCGS certification is important for any business in the production, packaging, storage, distribution, or sale of food and consumer products. By following BRCGS standards, companies can make sure that they match high standards of safety, quality, and legality, enhancing their reputation and competitiveness in the global market. The certification provides various benefits, including expansion in market reach, risk management, and operational workflow. With the right approach, achieving BRCGS certification can be a rewarding step towards business excellence.
Get The BRCGS Certification With Legal4sure
We help you to complete all the required steps with perfection and effectiveness to make sure that your food business or business related to food follows all the BRCGS rules. Having served 40+ clients with BRCGS implementation with 50+ BRCGS certifications, we at legal4sure have enhanced our skills and attained expertise. Over time, we have provided 1500+ hours of training to our clients with maximum effectiveness. Get in touch with us right now to find out how we can help you get the required BRCGS certification in your company in the most efficient way possible.