A REVIEW OF THE BRITISH RETAIL CONSORTIUM (BRC) GLOBAL STANDARD FOR AGENTS AND BROKERS In January 2014, The BRC released a Global Standard for Agents and Brokers Issue 1.This is a voluntary Standard aimed at agents, brokers, importers and exporters that provide services for the purchase, importation or distribution of products. This Standard covers food products, such as raw materials and finished products, pet food for domesticated animals and primary, secondary and tertiary materials of food packaging. The Standard provides a full Quality Management System (QMS) framework, specifying the safety, quality and operational criteria required to ensure legal compliance and ultimately protection of the consumer. In addition to this, the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 7, was released in January 2015 and includes a new clause; 3.5.1.3. This clause highlights that for every raw material that a company purchases from their agent or broker, the company must obtain details, and therefore enable ‘approval’ of the last manufacturer, packer or consolidator, unless the agent/broker is certificated to the BRC Global Standard for Agents and Brokers. For companies working in compliance with BRC Global Standards for Food Safety Issue 7, the benefits of selecting a BRC accredited agent or broker means that they will not need to spend time and resources obtaining information relating to the previous suppliers. For agents and brokers, the benefit of obtaining accreditation to the BRC Standard for Agents and Brokers is the increase in consumer trust, by strengthening customer confidence in their operational services and supply chain management. This highlights the importance that the industry is placing on this new Standard, and also gives a potential advantage to agents/brokers, who are already certified, in that they could attract more clients based on their accreditation status. A feature of this Standard is the importance of product testing using an ISO17025 accredited laboratory. Using an accredited laboratory will provide companies with documented evidence that their products are meeting the requirements of their consumers; potentially giving them a leading edge on the market. Although this Standard is not compulsory at present, many companies are seeking accreditation due to the significant benefits associated with it. We at ICNE are a GMP and ISO17025:2005 accredited laboratory and are ideally placed to assist you with the testing requirements of this Standard. Requirements for Gaining BRC Agents and Brokers Accreditation To ensure product safety, legality and quality, and therefore meet the Standard, the BRC has described key requirements that a company must conform to. They are separated into five areas, summarised below. Please see the official BRC Standard for full details. 1 - Senior Management Commitment Senior management must demonstrate commitment in endeavouring to meet the requirements of this Standard, and must operate in a way that enables the continual improvement of their product safety and quality management services. Management must provide clear organisational structures, lines of communication and effective management of services. 2 - Hazard and Risk Assessment A safety plan for the processes a company is responsible for is required, which is based on the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP). 3 - Product Safety and Quality Management System All processes and procedures must be documented, allowing consistent application, facilitate training, and support due diligence in order to supply a safe product. Put in place a documentation control system, to ensure the most up to date and correct documents are being used. Maintain concise records in order to control safety, legality and quality of products. Identify, record and clearly communicate their customers’ needs to suppliers and staff. Email: [email protected] www.icne.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1253 737009