BRC Global Standard: Your Guide to Food Safety Standards
Oct 25, 2025
A Food Manufacturer's Guide to BRC: More Than a Food Safety Standard, It's a Global Benchmark
In the UK food industry, trust is your most valuable asset. Consumers and retailers expect—and regulatory requirements demand—that the food products on their shelves are not just high-quality, but unequivocally safe. For food manufacturers, demonstrating this commitment is non-negotiable. This is where the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety becomes the single most important benchmark in your food business.
But what is the BRC standard? And why is BRC certification so critical?
As a specialist in food manufacturing recruitment, I've seen businesses rise and fall on their ability to manage food safety and quality. A glowing BRC audit can unlock contracts with the world's biggest retailers, while a poor result can shut you out of the market.
This guide to BRC will navigate the complexities of these global food safety standards, explain the certification process, and, most importantly, show how building a robust safety culture is a leadership challenge, not just a technical one.
The Evolution of BRC: What is the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety?
First, let's clear up the names. BRC originally stood for the British Retail Consortium. They were a group of UK retailers who, in 1998, developed by the British Retail Consortium, a food safety standard to create a single, unified benchmark to audit their suppliers. They wanted to ensure their branded food products were being produced to consistent safety and quality standards.
As its adoption spread, the BRC standard gained global recognition. Today, it’s known as BRCGS (Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards).
The BRC Global Standard for Food Safety is now one of the world's leading global food safety standards, recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). In simple terms, it's a GFSI-benchmarked food safety and quality management framework. It provides a comprehensive set of best practices for food production, processing, and packaging materials to ensure food safety and compliance with food safety laws.
This isn't just a UK standard; it's a global standard used by over 30,000 certified suppliers in 130 countries, making it essential for any food business with ambitions in the global supply chain.
The Core Pillars: What Does the BRC Audit and Standard Require?
Achieving BRC certification involves a detailed certification audit against the standard requirements, which are updated regularly (the current version is Issue 9). The BRC standard is built on several key pillars, each critical for a successful food safety management system.
Senior Management Commitment & Safety Culture
This is, and always will be, the number one requirement. BRCGS demands that food safety is not just "the Technical Manager's job." It must be a top-down commitment. The BRC audit will scrutinise your leadership team. Do they provide adequate resources? Do they attend food safety meetings? Do they foster a safety culture where employees feel empowered to stop a line or report a hazard? Without this, BRC compliance is impossible.
The Food Safety Plan (HACCP)
At its core, the BRC standard is built on HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). You must identify every potential hazard in your food production process—be it biological, chemical, physical, or allergenic—and have a documented plan to control it.
Food Safety Systems and Quality Management
This is the "how-to" manual for your entire food business. It includes everything from document control, traceability (a critical component for recalls), managing packaging materials, and supplier approval, to handling customer complaints and managing incidents. This is the food safety management backbone.
Site Standards (Good Manufacturing Practices)
This pillar covers the physical environment. The BRC audit is famously rigorous here. It covers site layout, hygiene and cleaning, pest control, equipment maintenance, and foreign body controls. It’s about ensuring your food manufacturing facility is, and remains, fit for purpose.
Product and Process Control
This section focuses on the product itself. It includes allergen management, food safety and quality at the product design stage, and control of non-conforming products. This is where your food safety theory meets the reality of the food supply chain.
Personnel
The standard includes standard requirements for the people on the floor, ensuring they are properly trained in their roles, personal hygiene, and safety protocols.
Food Fraud and Traceability
A key focus of Issue 9, this requires food manufacturers to have food safety systems in place to assess and mitigate the risk of food fraud (e.g., deliberate substitution of ingredients) within their global supply chain. Your traceability system must be robust enough to track the entire supply chain.
The BRC Certification Process: What to Expect from the BRC Audit
Implementing BRC is a significant project. The final step is the certification audit, which is where you demonstrate compliance.
Select a Certification Body: You cannot get BRC certification from BRCGS directly. You must use one of the many approved, independent third-party certification bodies to conduct your audit.
The Audit: The BRC audit is an intensive, on-site inspection that can last several days. The auditor will review your management system and documentation, walk the entire food production site, and interview staff at all levels to verify that your food safety practices are being followed.
Non-Conformances and Corrective Action: It is very common for an auditor to find "non-conformances" (areas where you fail to meet BRC requirements). These are graded on severity. Your team is then given a set time (usually 28 days) to provide evidence of corrective action to fix the root cause of the problem.
The Grade: Once your corrective action is approved, the certification body will review everything and issue your food safety certification and a grade (from AA+ for the best, down to C). Major retailers see this grade, and many will only accept suppliers with an A or B grade (or higher).
Why BRC Compliance is a Non-Negotiable Strategy for Food Manufacturers
Many food businesses worldwide view the brc audit as a difficult hazard to overcome. But the leaders in the food industry see compliance with the BRC standards as a strategic advantage.
Global Recognition: BRCGS is a benchmark for best practices that opens doors. It’s your passport to trading with any major retailer or food service company worldwide.
Demonstrate Your Commitment: It’s the ultimate way to demonstrate their commitment to food safety, building trust with customers, investors, and regulators.
Streamline Your Operations: Implementing BRC forces you to streamline your food safety and quality management processes, which often reduces waste, improves efficiency, and enhances food quality.
Protect Your Brand: A robust BRC food safety management system is your best defence against a product recall, food fraud, or a major food safety incident. Compliance with brc is brand insurance.
The Leadership Challenge: Implementing BRC and Building a Lasting Safety Culture
Achieving BRC certification is a project. Maintaining BRCGS compliance is a continuous cultural challenge. The BRC Global Standard is just a document; it’s your people who bring it to life.
This is where my world of recruitment and your world of food safety collide.
You cannot pass a BRC audit with a weak senior team.
A Technical Manager who isn't assertive, detailed, and a strong leader will fail to implement the food safety systems or stand up to pressure from production.
An Operations Manager who prioritises output over hygiene rules or ignores corrective action will create a culture of non-compliance.
A Senior Leadership Team that doesn't invest in safety culture and good manufacturing practices will be flagged in section 1 of the audit—an almost-guaranteed failure.
BRC compliance is a direct reflection of your leadership. Ensuring food safety and quality is essential for food businesses worldwide, and it starts at the top.
At Williams Recruitment, we understand the immense pressure food manufacturers are under to meet brc standards. We specialise in finding the senior technical, quality, and operational leaders who have a proven track record of maintaining BRCGS excellence. We find the professionals who don't just "manage" the BRC audit—they build the resilient safety culture that makes compliance second nature.
If your food business is ready to invest in the leadership that BRC compliance demands, contact Williams Recruitment today.
A Food Manufacturer's Guide to BRC: More Than a Food Safety Standard, It's a Global Benchmark
In the UK food industry, trust is your most valuable asset. Consumers and retailers expect—and regulatory requirements demand—that the food products on their shelves are not just high-quality, but unequivocally safe. For food manufacturers, demonstrating this commitment is non-negotiable. This is where the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety becomes the single most important benchmark in your food business.
But what is the BRC standard? And why is BRC certification so critical?
As a specialist in food manufacturing recruitment, I've seen businesses rise and fall on their ability to manage food safety and quality. A glowing BRC audit can unlock contracts with the world's biggest retailers, while a poor result can shut you out of the market.
This guide to BRC will navigate the complexities of these global food safety standards, explain the certification process, and, most importantly, show how building a robust safety culture is a leadership challenge, not just a technical one.
The Evolution of BRC: What is the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety?
First, let's clear up the names. BRC originally stood for the British Retail Consortium. They were a group of UK retailers who, in 1998, developed by the British Retail Consortium, a food safety standard to create a single, unified benchmark to audit their suppliers. They wanted to ensure their branded food products were being produced to consistent safety and quality standards.
As its adoption spread, the BRC standard gained global recognition. Today, it’s known as BRCGS (Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards).
The BRC Global Standard for Food Safety is now one of the world's leading global food safety standards, recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). In simple terms, it's a GFSI-benchmarked food safety and quality management framework. It provides a comprehensive set of best practices for food production, processing, and packaging materials to ensure food safety and compliance with food safety laws.
This isn't just a UK standard; it's a global standard used by over 30,000 certified suppliers in 130 countries, making it essential for any food business with ambitions in the global supply chain.
The Core Pillars: What Does the BRC Audit and Standard Require?
Achieving BRC certification involves a detailed certification audit against the standard requirements, which are updated regularly (the current version is Issue 9). The BRC standard is built on several key pillars, each critical for a successful food safety management system.
Senior Management Commitment & Safety Culture
This is, and always will be, the number one requirement. BRCGS demands that food safety is not just "the Technical Manager's job." It must be a top-down commitment. The BRC audit will scrutinise your leadership team. Do they provide adequate resources? Do they attend food safety meetings? Do they foster a safety culture where employees feel empowered to stop a line or report a hazard? Without this, BRC compliance is impossible.
The Food Safety Plan (HACCP)
At its core, the BRC standard is built on HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). You must identify every potential hazard in your food production process—be it biological, chemical, physical, or allergenic—and have a documented plan to control it.
Food Safety Systems and Quality Management
This is the "how-to" manual for your entire food business. It includes everything from document control, traceability (a critical component for recalls), managing packaging materials, and supplier approval, to handling customer complaints and managing incidents. This is the food safety management backbone.
Site Standards (Good Manufacturing Practices)
This pillar covers the physical environment. The BRC audit is famously rigorous here. It covers site layout, hygiene and cleaning, pest control, equipment maintenance, and foreign body controls. It’s about ensuring your food manufacturing facility is, and remains, fit for purpose.
Product and Process Control
This section focuses on the product itself. It includes allergen management, food safety and quality at the product design stage, and control of non-conforming products. This is where your food safety theory meets the reality of the food supply chain.
Personnel
The standard includes standard requirements for the people on the floor, ensuring they are properly trained in their roles, personal hygiene, and safety protocols.
Food Fraud and Traceability
A key focus of Issue 9, this requires food manufacturers to have food safety systems in place to assess and mitigate the risk of food fraud (e.g., deliberate substitution of ingredients) within their global supply chain. Your traceability system must be robust enough to track the entire supply chain.
The BRC Certification Process: What to Expect from the BRC Audit
Implementing BRC is a significant project. The final step is the certification audit, which is where you demonstrate compliance.
Select a Certification Body: You cannot get BRC certification from BRCGS directly. You must use one of the many approved, independent third-party certification bodies to conduct your audit.
The Audit: The BRC audit is an intensive, on-site inspection that can last several days. The auditor will review your management system and documentation, walk the entire food production site, and interview staff at all levels to verify that your food safety practices are being followed.
Non-Conformances and Corrective Action: It is very common for an auditor to find "non-conformances" (areas where you fail to meet BRC requirements). These are graded on severity. Your team is then given a set time (usually 28 days) to provide evidence of corrective action to fix the root cause of the problem.
The Grade: Once your corrective action is approved, the certification body will review everything and issue your food safety certification and a grade (from AA+ for the best, down to C). Major retailers see this grade, and many will only accept suppliers with an A or B grade (or higher).
Why BRC Compliance is a Non-Negotiable Strategy for Food Manufacturers
Many food businesses worldwide view the brc audit as a difficult hazard to overcome. But the leaders in the food industry see compliance with the BRC standards as a strategic advantage.
Global Recognition: BRCGS is a benchmark for best practices that opens doors. It’s your passport to trading with any major retailer or food service company worldwide.
Demonstrate Your Commitment: It’s the ultimate way to demonstrate their commitment to food safety, building trust with customers, investors, and regulators.
Streamline Your Operations: Implementing BRC forces you to streamline your food safety and quality management processes, which often reduces waste, improves efficiency, and enhances food quality.
Protect Your Brand: A robust BRC food safety management system is your best defence against a product recall, food fraud, or a major food safety incident. Compliance with brc is brand insurance.
The Leadership Challenge: Implementing BRC and Building a Lasting Safety Culture
Achieving BRC certification is a project. Maintaining BRCGS compliance is a continuous cultural challenge. The BRC Global Standard is just a document; it’s your people who bring it to life.
This is where my world of recruitment and your world of food safety collide.
You cannot pass a BRC audit with a weak senior team.
A Technical Manager who isn't assertive, detailed, and a strong leader will fail to implement the food safety systems or stand up to pressure from production.
An Operations Manager who prioritises output over hygiene rules or ignores corrective action will create a culture of non-compliance.
A Senior Leadership Team that doesn't invest in safety culture and good manufacturing practices will be flagged in section 1 of the audit—an almost-guaranteed failure.
BRC compliance is a direct reflection of your leadership. Ensuring food safety and quality is essential for food businesses worldwide, and it starts at the top.
At Williams Recruitment, we understand the immense pressure food manufacturers are under to meet brc standards. We specialise in finding the senior technical, quality, and operational leaders who have a proven track record of maintaining BRCGS excellence. We find the professionals who don't just "manage" the BRC audit—they build the resilient safety culture that makes compliance second nature.
If your food business is ready to invest in the leadership that BRC compliance demands, contact Williams Recruitment today.
A Food Manufacturer's Guide to BRC: More Than a Food Safety Standard, It's a Global Benchmark
In the UK food industry, trust is your most valuable asset. Consumers and retailers expect—and regulatory requirements demand—that the food products on their shelves are not just high-quality, but unequivocally safe. For food manufacturers, demonstrating this commitment is non-negotiable. This is where the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety becomes the single most important benchmark in your food business.
But what is the BRC standard? And why is BRC certification so critical?
As a specialist in food manufacturing recruitment, I've seen businesses rise and fall on their ability to manage food safety and quality. A glowing BRC audit can unlock contracts with the world's biggest retailers, while a poor result can shut you out of the market.
This guide to BRC will navigate the complexities of these global food safety standards, explain the certification process, and, most importantly, show how building a robust safety culture is a leadership challenge, not just a technical one.
The Evolution of BRC: What is the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety?
First, let's clear up the names. BRC originally stood for the British Retail Consortium. They were a group of UK retailers who, in 1998, developed by the British Retail Consortium, a food safety standard to create a single, unified benchmark to audit their suppliers. They wanted to ensure their branded food products were being produced to consistent safety and quality standards.
As its adoption spread, the BRC standard gained global recognition. Today, it’s known as BRCGS (Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards).
The BRC Global Standard for Food Safety is now one of the world's leading global food safety standards, recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). In simple terms, it's a GFSI-benchmarked food safety and quality management framework. It provides a comprehensive set of best practices for food production, processing, and packaging materials to ensure food safety and compliance with food safety laws.
This isn't just a UK standard; it's a global standard used by over 30,000 certified suppliers in 130 countries, making it essential for any food business with ambitions in the global supply chain.
The Core Pillars: What Does the BRC Audit and Standard Require?
Achieving BRC certification involves a detailed certification audit against the standard requirements, which are updated regularly (the current version is Issue 9). The BRC standard is built on several key pillars, each critical for a successful food safety management system.
Senior Management Commitment & Safety Culture
This is, and always will be, the number one requirement. BRCGS demands that food safety is not just "the Technical Manager's job." It must be a top-down commitment. The BRC audit will scrutinise your leadership team. Do they provide adequate resources? Do they attend food safety meetings? Do they foster a safety culture where employees feel empowered to stop a line or report a hazard? Without this, BRC compliance is impossible.
The Food Safety Plan (HACCP)
At its core, the BRC standard is built on HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). You must identify every potential hazard in your food production process—be it biological, chemical, physical, or allergenic—and have a documented plan to control it.
Food Safety Systems and Quality Management
This is the "how-to" manual for your entire food business. It includes everything from document control, traceability (a critical component for recalls), managing packaging materials, and supplier approval, to handling customer complaints and managing incidents. This is the food safety management backbone.
Site Standards (Good Manufacturing Practices)
This pillar covers the physical environment. The BRC audit is famously rigorous here. It covers site layout, hygiene and cleaning, pest control, equipment maintenance, and foreign body controls. It’s about ensuring your food manufacturing facility is, and remains, fit for purpose.
Product and Process Control
This section focuses on the product itself. It includes allergen management, food safety and quality at the product design stage, and control of non-conforming products. This is where your food safety theory meets the reality of the food supply chain.
Personnel
The standard includes standard requirements for the people on the floor, ensuring they are properly trained in their roles, personal hygiene, and safety protocols.
Food Fraud and Traceability
A key focus of Issue 9, this requires food manufacturers to have food safety systems in place to assess and mitigate the risk of food fraud (e.g., deliberate substitution of ingredients) within their global supply chain. Your traceability system must be robust enough to track the entire supply chain.
The BRC Certification Process: What to Expect from the BRC Audit
Implementing BRC is a significant project. The final step is the certification audit, which is where you demonstrate compliance.
Select a Certification Body: You cannot get BRC certification from BRCGS directly. You must use one of the many approved, independent third-party certification bodies to conduct your audit.
The Audit: The BRC audit is an intensive, on-site inspection that can last several days. The auditor will review your management system and documentation, walk the entire food production site, and interview staff at all levels to verify that your food safety practices are being followed.
Non-Conformances and Corrective Action: It is very common for an auditor to find "non-conformances" (areas where you fail to meet BRC requirements). These are graded on severity. Your team is then given a set time (usually 28 days) to provide evidence of corrective action to fix the root cause of the problem.
The Grade: Once your corrective action is approved, the certification body will review everything and issue your food safety certification and a grade (from AA+ for the best, down to C). Major retailers see this grade, and many will only accept suppliers with an A or B grade (or higher).
Why BRC Compliance is a Non-Negotiable Strategy for Food Manufacturers
Many food businesses worldwide view the brc audit as a difficult hazard to overcome. But the leaders in the food industry see compliance with the BRC standards as a strategic advantage.
Global Recognition: BRCGS is a benchmark for best practices that opens doors. It’s your passport to trading with any major retailer or food service company worldwide.
Demonstrate Your Commitment: It’s the ultimate way to demonstrate their commitment to food safety, building trust with customers, investors, and regulators.
Streamline Your Operations: Implementing BRC forces you to streamline your food safety and quality management processes, which often reduces waste, improves efficiency, and enhances food quality.
Protect Your Brand: A robust BRC food safety management system is your best defence against a product recall, food fraud, or a major food safety incident. Compliance with brc is brand insurance.
The Leadership Challenge: Implementing BRC and Building a Lasting Safety Culture
Achieving BRC certification is a project. Maintaining BRCGS compliance is a continuous cultural challenge. The BRC Global Standard is just a document; it’s your people who bring it to life.
This is where my world of recruitment and your world of food safety collide.
You cannot pass a BRC audit with a weak senior team.
A Technical Manager who isn't assertive, detailed, and a strong leader will fail to implement the food safety systems or stand up to pressure from production.
An Operations Manager who prioritises output over hygiene rules or ignores corrective action will create a culture of non-compliance.
A Senior Leadership Team that doesn't invest in safety culture and good manufacturing practices will be flagged in section 1 of the audit—an almost-guaranteed failure.
BRC compliance is a direct reflection of your leadership. Ensuring food safety and quality is essential for food businesses worldwide, and it starts at the top.
At Williams Recruitment, we understand the immense pressure food manufacturers are under to meet brc standards. We specialise in finding the senior technical, quality, and operational leaders who have a proven track record of maintaining BRCGS excellence. We find the professionals who don't just "manage" the BRC audit—they build the resilient safety culture that makes compliance second nature.
If your food business is ready to invest in the leadership that BRC compliance demands, contact Williams Recruitment today.
