The BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety, commonly known as BRC, is a GFSI-recognized standard and a key condition major European and UK retailers require of food manufacturers seeking to become suppliers. The current edition is Issue 9, in use for certification audits since February 2023.
An Overview of the Twelve Fundamental Requirements
BRCGS Issue 9 sets out twelve Fundamental Requirements: senior management commitment and continual improvement, a HACCP-based food safety plan, internal audits, management of suppliers of raw materials and packaging, corrective and preventive actions, product traceability, site standards and layout/product flow segregation, housekeeping and hygiene, allergen management, control of operations, labelling and pack control, and staff training.
What "Fundamental" Means Here
Operators must understand that these twelve requirements sit at a "fundamental" level — meaning that if an auditor finds a serious nonconformity in any one of them, the organization cannot pass certification, regardless of how well it scores elsewhere. This reflects the exceptional priority the standard places on this group of requirements.
Recommendations for Organizations Starting Out
We recommend organizations planning to pursue BRCGS certification begin with a self-assessment against these twelve fundamental requirements first, since gaps here typically require more time and resources to close than gaps in other sections.