BRC Global Standard for Food - Issue 5 UPDATE

(additional requirements to Issue 4).

1. Management Commitment and Continual Improvement

This is a new section to the standard.

• Requirement for clear communication channels.
• Management Review is required annually.
• Additional requirements specific to audit process.
• Copy of current issue of BRC Standard is required.
• Certification to the BRC standard must not lapse.
• Most senior operations/production manager on site must be at audit meetings.
• Non-conformities from previous BRC audit must be completed.

2. HACCP

This section now follows Codex Alimentarius steps and is more descriptive in its requirements:

• More detailed product description and intended use is required.
• Detailed flow diagram and verification of flow diagram.
• Use of decision tree for CCP determination.
• Critical limits to be validated.
• More requirements for documentation e.g. monitoring records signed and dated, corrective action and procedures for handling of unsafe products.
• HACCP Review required annually as a minimum.

3. Quality Management System

3.1 Now called Food Safety and Quality Policy

• Requirement for Continual improvement.
• Senior manager must sign and date policy

 3.2 Now called Food Safety and Quality Manual

• Requirement for review at planned intervals.

3.3 Organisational Structure, Responsibilities and Management Authority

• Organisation chart must be available.

 3.4 Contract Review and Customer Focus

• There is a new requirement for the staff responsible for communication with customers to be defined.
• Customer requirements need to be identified and agreed and these are to be reviewed at predetermined frequencies.

 3.5 Internal Audit

• There is a specific requirement to audit system annually as a minimum.

3.6 Purchasing – Supplier Approval and Performance Monitoring

No changes.

3.7 General Documentation Requirements

No changes

3.7.1 Documentation Control

• Documents now need to be in the ‘appropriate languages’

3.7.2 Specifications

• Manufacturing instructions need to comply with recipes and be fully implemented.
• Documented procedure required for specification amendment and approval.
• Specifications need to be readily accessible to staff.

3.7.3 Record completion

• Period of retention of records needs to be related to shelf life, legislation and customer requirements.

3.8 Corrective and Preventive Action

• Procedures required for preventive action and verification.

3.9 Traceability

• Traceability audit / test to include quantity check / mass balance reconciliation.
• Traceability audit / test to be carried out annually.

3.10 Complaint Handling

• There must be a system to effectively capture and record complaints.

3.11 Management of Incidents, Product Withdrawal and Product Recall

• More detail is included on what to include and consider regarding incidents & the management of incidents.
• Detailed contingency planning for all types of incidents is required.
• Record timing of key stages of recall / withdrawal audit / test.
• Traceability and recall systems to be tested at least annually.
• Now a requirement to notify your certification body in the event of a product recall.

4.1 External Site Standards

• Your site to be of suitable size, construction and design.
• External yards and roads must be suitably surfaced and maintained.
• Building fabric must be well maintained

4.2 Site Security

• There must be controlled access and training of staff.
• Secure storage of materials to be demonstrated.
• Premises must be registered and approved.

4.3.1 Layout, product flow and segregation

• Temporary repairs and structure must be controlled

4.3.2 Fabrication – walls, floors etc

• Waste to go directly to drain.
• Where floor falls are required is clarified.
• Risk assessment of windows.
• Doors to be maintained in good condition and cleanable.

4.4 Services – now called Utilities

No new requirements

4.5 Equipment

• Requirement for Certificates of Conformity for suitability for use of food contact materials e.g. conveyor belt material.

4.6 Maintenance

• Specific control of maintenance contractors required.
• Formal clearance / sign off required following maintenance work.
• Maintenance consumables to be suitable for use.
• Engineering workshops to be controlled to prevent contamination risks e.g. swarf mats.

4.7 Staff Facilities

• There must be sufficient storage facilities available for personal items.
• Waste must be controlled at outside designated eating areas.
• Water, liquid soap, towels or air drier must be provided at handwash stations.
• Hand wash instructions must be available.
• Hand free operation taps and disinfection and high risk areas.
• Water, liquid soap, drying facilities and signage must be provided at toilet handwash stations
• At smoking areas the must be waste bins & signage for handwashing.

4.8 Chemical and Physical Contamination Control

• Specific requirements for non-food chemicals e.g. approved purchase, data sheets, suitability for food use, identified containers, secure and used by trained staff.
• Procedures required for sharps e.g. knives and blades etc.
• Glass breakage procedures e.g. quarantine, cleaning and release of area and Personnel controls.
• ?Inspection procedures & documentation for sieves, filters and magnets
• Procedures & control of foreign body contamination of packaging during filling operations e.g. use of inverters, air jets on line.

4.9 Housekeeping and Hygiene

• Specific requirement for cleaning procedures to include responsibility, frequency, method, etc.
• CIP to be monitored & controlled.
• Cleaning chemicals and equipment to be fit for purpose, identified and stored to prevent contamination.

4.10 Waste / Waste Disposal

• Waste to be categorised based on legislative requirements.
• Identified waste containers & rooms.
• Waste containers & rooms cleanable and maintained.

4.11 Pest Control

• Risk assessment required to establish pest control programme and frequency of visits.
• Clear specification for documentation required.
• Bait station design and use specified e.g. tamper proof & tethered.
• Corrective action required in the event of infestation.
• Company to action recommendations.
• Catch tray analysis required.

4.12 Storage and Transport

• Covers storage as well as transport
• Storage must be off floor and away from walls, use of bulk tankers, pre-loading and unloading inspection required.
• Storage areas to be kept dry and well ventilated.
• Global Standard for Storage and Distribution recommended for suppliers of these services.
• Traceability to be ensured during storage and transport.

5.1 Product Design / Development

• Shelf life trials required to confirm compliance with microbiological, chemical and organoleptic criteria.
• NPD to control special handling requirements e.g. allergens.
• Packaging to be confirmed as suitable for use and legal.
• Validation of product claims e.g. nutrition.
• Communication of changes to formulation or process.

5.2 Handling Requirements for Specific Materials – Materials containing Allergens and Identity Preserved Materials

• All allergen containing materials, intermediate and finished products need to be listed.
• Document a risk assessment to identify and control routes of contamination.
• Develop procedures of segregation, use of dedicated equipment and staff policies.
• Any claims to be fully validated.
• Cleaning methods, waste handling & spillage controls to be validated.
• Staff training required in allergen handling.
• Non-conformities specifically involving allergens to be reviewed.
• Risk assessment is required for raw materials requiring ID preservation.
• Risk assessment is required of routes of contamination of ID preserved materials.

5.3 Foreign Body Detection

• Foreign body detection is required unless it is otherwise justified.
• Monitoring check frequency and sensitivity to be defined with trained personnel and documentation.

5.4 Product Packaging

• Evidence to confirm suitability for use e.g. certificates of conformity required.
• Coloured liners of sufficient gauge to prevent contamination are required.

5.5 Product Inspection and Laboratory Testing

• Test results to be recorded.
• Test results to be analysed for trends and action taken.
• There is a requirement for organoleptic tests.
• Ongoing shelf life assessment is required.
• Laboratory testing for pathogen testing to be subcontracted or laboratory must be remote from manufacturing.
• Minimise risk of cross contamination from laboratory e.g. security, access, colour coding workwear, waste controls etc.
• Procedures for reliability of results – recognised methods, documented methods, staff training, ring testing, equipment calibration.

5.6 Control of Non-conforming Product

No major changes.

5.7 Product Release

No major changes.

6.1 Control of Operations

• All CCPs to be transferred to day to day production controls.
• Process monitoring to be carried out by trained staff.
• Procedure to be in place to ensure product is packed into correct packaging.

6.2 Quantity – Weight, Volume and Number Control

No major changes.

6.3 Calibration and Control of Measuring and Monitoring Devices

• Details of calibration procedures has been clarified e.g. list of equipment, identified & labelled, checked & adjusted based on risk assessment.

7.1 Training

• Competency for specific roles to be documented.
• Monitoring of training requirement and effectiveness.
• Training in relevant language.
• Specific details to be recorded on training records – name, date, duration, course contents, training provider.

7.2 Access and Movement of Personnel

• Site plan required showing access points and travel routes.
• There are specific design and layout requirements.
• Staff / visitor training on site access, movement and hazard procedures.

7.3 Personal Hygiene

• Staff compliance to hygiene rules to be checked regularly.
• Visitors to be controlled by wearing gloves / non handling of food if not complying to hygiene requirement of fingernails.
• Coloured plasters e.g. blue (different from product) to be available.

7.4 Medical Screening

• Procedure for action to be taken in the case of infectious disease to be communicated to staff.

7.5 Protective Clothing

• Policy to be documented.
• Protective clothing to be provided in sufficient numbers.
• Design to prevent product contamination.
• Clean and dirty clothing to be segregated
• If laundering in-house, validate the effectiveness of process.
• Gloves to be suitable for food use, disposable, distinctive colour, intact.
• High risk clothing shall be removed and stored in a designated changing area.

The above overview is a basic summary of changes from Issue 4 to Issue 5 of the BRC Global Standard for Food. It is recommended a full review of systems against the stand is carried out. Advanced Food Safety can provide a fully documented review of your systems against the new standard by a qualified BRC auditor. This will provide a gap analysis and recommendations to meet the new standard requirements. This audit will also provide one of your key independent audits of your system.

Email info@food-safety.co.uk to arrange this service.

Need to reduce the cost of your BRC audit?

We have teamed up with one of the most respected BRC certification bodies to offer our clients a reduction in the cost of their BRC audits, we pass this cost on directly to our clients so they can benefit from this cost saving in full. Contact Russell Parry for full details on info@food-safety.co.uk

Developing a BRC Standard System Yourself?
Check out the Food Safety Management Pack. This pack contains the essential requirements to develop HACCP and food safety quality systems to meet the requirements of the BRC Standard. An updated pack to meet the requirements of the new Issue 5 BRC Global Standard for Food Safety is now available! Click Here for Full Details and secure online ordering