BRC certification: Global standards for food safety & quality

BRC certification is a global food safety standard issued by the British Retail Consortium. It ensures food manufacturers meet strict requirements for safety, quality, and operational control. Companies gain BRC certification to prove compliance with international standards and to build trust with retailers and consumers.

Originally developed and published in 1998, the British Retail Consortium Global Standards (BRCGS) specify safety, quality and operational criteria for food producers and suppliers. Used worldwide, the standards are recognized by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative), which aims to reduce the need for multiple supplier audits by harmonizing international food safety standards. BRC standards are accepted by many of the world’s largest retail groups, manufacturers, and food service organizations providing an international mark of excellence for the certificate holder.

For over 25 years, BRCGS has led the way in setting standards, providing the most rigorous third-party certification schemes to deliver reliable results. BRCGS certification ensures supply chain confidence, safeguarding both safety and quality to protect consumers. As the most recognized certification across food and non-food sectors, it is accepted globally by brands, retailers and specifiers. With more than 35,000 certificated sites in over 130 countries, BRCGS offers trusted assurance of product integrity and is often the preferred choice for GFSI-benchmarked certification.

Join over 35,000 BRCGS certificated sites which have improved food safety and operational efficiency. 

BRCGS deliver confidence across the entire supply chain by guaranteeing the standardization of quality, safety and operational principles. By setting the benchmark for excellent manufacturing practice, they provide assurance to customers that products are safe, legal and of high quality.

With food safety a global priority for consumers and governments, the food supply chain must comply with regulations through appropriate testing and certification while managing cost and time pressures. Consequently, increasing numbers of retailers and food service providers requires suppliers to be certified to a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) approved scheme. 

• Five-star service: Licensed by the BRC as an approved Certification Body (CB) to audit against the relevant BRC Global Standards, TÜV SÜD consistently achieves a five-star rating¹ - the highest possible.
• Years of experience: TÜV SÜD has more than 15 years’ experience in food and feed management system certification and was one of the first certification bodies in this field.
• International presence: TÜV SÜD’s global network of auditors provides the assurance that a formalized and structured approach to attaining certification is applied without bias, ensuring that audit approaches are consistent, regardless of product or country of production.
• Expert partnership: With in-depth experience in food testing, inspection, auditing and certification, TÜV SÜD is globally recognized as a trusted brand throughout the food industry value chain.
• Dedicated account manager: Benefit from a single point of contact with your dedicated TÜV SÜD account manager who ensures your audit project is managed efficiently and delivered on time.

TÜV SÜD is a BRC Global Standards Compliance Auditor for: 

1. BRC Global Standard for Food Safety

The BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety (formerly known as BRC Food) is an internationally recognized food safety management system standard developed by BRCGS (British Retail Consortium Global Standards). It sets out requirements for food manufacturers to ensure the safety, quality, and legality of their products and the integrity of their operations.

The standard applies to processed food manufacturing, the preparation of retailer-branded products, branded food products, and food or ingredients for use by food service companies, catering companies and food manufacturers. 

2. BRC Global Standard for Packaging Materials 

BRCGS for Packaging Materials applies to the manufacture of food packaging and packaging materials. It is designed to ensure the quality, safety, and legality of packaging materials used for food, consumer products, cosmetics, and other goods. The standard cannot be applied to packaging or materials that are not processed at the audited site, or to activities relating to wholesale, importation, distribution or storage outside the direct control of the company. 

3. BRC Global Standard for Storage and Distribution 

This standard applies to companies providing storage and distribution services, including contracted services and a wholesale business where the storage and distribution facilities are under its direct control. It provides a framework to manage product safety, quality, and legality for companies involved in the storage, transportation, and distribution of goods — whether food, packaging, or consumer products. 

4. BRC Global Standard for Agents and Brokers 

The BRCGS Agents and Brokers Standard applies to companies in the food or food packaging supply chain involved in purchasing, importing, or distributing products. It provides a framework to ensure product safety, authenticity, and traceability by:

• Preventing contamination, fraud, and quality issues.
• Requiring sourcing from approved, verified suppliers. 
• Demonstrating responsible supply chain management to manufacturers, brand owners, and retailers. 
• Meeting GFSI benchmark requirements recognized globally by major retailers and brands. 

• Improve food safety & quality – Implements effective systems for monitoring and controlling production processes ensuring higher product safety and quality standards.
• Save money - Minimizes the risk of costly recalls, product rejections, and associated legal issues. 
• Improve brand reputation & consumer trust - Demonstrates compliance with a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)-benchmarked standard building confidence among consumers, suppliers, and buyers, reinforcing brand integrity.
• Access major markets – Many retailers and food service providers require BRC certification making it a prerequisite for entering new markets and securing partnerships with larger companies. 
• Strengthen supplier partnerships – By adopting industry best practices and ensuring product safety, BRC certification can improve relationships and terms with suppliers. 
• Improve operations – Encourages disciplined workflows, documentation and accountability across the business, not just for food safety. 
• Achieve audit readiness for other standards – Provides a strong foundation for other GFSI-recognized standards (e.g. SQF or FSSC 22000) and regulatory inspections. 
• Support marketing efforts – Showcase your certification on packaging and materials to highlight your commitment to quality.
• Increase visibility of your business in the BRCGS supplier directory – All certificated sites appear in the directory used by brands and retailers for supplier selection. 
• Reduce audit burden and costs – add additional modules to include requirements that previously needed a separate audit such as second-party audits.  

Our independent and qualified auditors will apply the following auditing techniques:

• Document review
  • Documented procedures
  • Work instructions
  • Inspection of recipes/formulations and specifications
  • Food labelling evaluation
  • Traceability tests
  • Evaluation of analysis results 

• On-site audit
  • Inspection of all areas
  • Assessment along an audit path, from incoming to outgoing goods
  • Employee and goods routes review
  • Employee interviews
  • Comparison of documentation against actual processes 

If your organization wants to demonstrate a commitment to quality processes and continual improvement so you can get access to top retailers, BRC certification can play an important role.

BRCGS recommend that you engage with your chosen certification body as early in the process as you can. 

References 

1 TÜV SÜD America entry in BRCGS Directory