BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 7

The standard has been updated to improve food safety, reduce multiple audits, facilitate continual improvement, provide an improved ‘due diligence’ defence, and address emerging issues such as food fraud and traceability through the entire food chain.

Now is the time to conduct a gap analysis, to identify any amendments needed before your next audit and also to start implementing the changes.

1. Supplier Approval – tighter standards for supplier approval. Questionnaires are only acceptable for low risk suppliers, other suppliers must have third party certification or be audited. Control is required over the supply chain where Agents and Brokers are involved to ensure the last manufacturer or packer is known
   
   
2. Traceability – verification that suppliers’ traceability systems are effective. Where suppliers are approved by questionnaire, their traceability system shall be tested on first approval and then again every three years
   
   
3. New section – Customer Focus and Communication. Need to ensure customer requirements are met and that these requirements are communicated to relevant suppliers
   
   
4. Factory zoning – ambient high care introduced to improve hygiene controls for ambient products, where it is known that vegetative pathogens can survive in the product
   
   
5. New section – Management of Surplus Food and Products for Animal Feed. Controls required for surplus customer branded products as well as food that will be given to charities and sold in staff shops
   
   
6. New Section – Product Labelling – systems to be in place to check accuracy and legality of information on labels
   
   
7. Product authenticity – systems are required to control the risk of purchasing adulterated or fraudulent raw materials. Companies need to demonstrate awareness of emerging issues. Vulnerability assessments to assess the risk of adulteration in raw materials are required
   
   
8. New section – Labelling and Pack Control – more specific requirements for product changeovers and use of correct packaging and label details during production

To know more, visit: http://www.sgs.com/en/Our-Company/News-and-Media-Center/News-and-Press-Releases/2015/04/BRC-Global-Standard-for-Food-Safety-Issue-7.aspx?wt.mc_id=as150408