BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 6

Overview of Changes

SeminarDublin, 20th March 2012

BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 6

Overview of Changes Summary

George Howlett

safefood360.com

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Agenda

• Overview of the BRC Issue 6• Reasons for change• Changes in the requirements• How to get started on changes• New audit focus & what to expect• Audit options• Questions and answers session• Networking

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Change

Change in any global food standard impacts on the sector

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Management of Impacts

• Read the standard

• Understand the requirements

• Learn and gain insight

• Prepare early

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Who are the BRC?

• British Retail Consortium• Trade association representing British retailers • Maintain clear policies on food safety

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What are the BRC Global Standards?

• Global safety and quality certification programme

• 17,000 certificated suppliers in 90 countries

• Facilitate standardisation• Standards cover food,

consumer products, packaging, storage & distribution

• Provide protection to the consumer

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Global Standard for Food

• First published in 1998• Revised every 3-4 years• Initially developed to meet

legal requirements• Developed into best practice

Global Food Safety Initiative - GFSI

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Why Change the Global Standard for Food?

Consumer Goods Forum

GFSI Guidance Document

Sixth Edition

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Why Change the Global Standard for Food?

• Produce a standard that truly reduces duplicate audits

• Improve the balance between time spent in the office and time in the factory

• Review the audit report to ensure it adds value - not cost

• Improve the consistency between auditors• Provide a way to recognise sites in development

Feedback

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Core Principles of BRC Standard

• Drive improvements in food safety• Enable manufactures meet the demands of their

customers – reduce multiple audits• Facilitate improvements and efficiencies• Provide part of the due diligence defence for both

customers and the certified site

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Publication – Issue 6

• Issue 6 publication date – July 2011

• Translations from - September 2011

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New for Issue 6

• Re-focus of the audit process• Introduction of more choice of audits• Facilitate voluntary unannounced audits• Enrolment scheme• Extensive change and evolution of requirements• Encourage adoption of food safety

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Changing the audit

• Moving to challenging not auditing• Time spent in the factory not the office• Additional time…

― for interviews with staff― observing line start and change procedures― reviewing procedures in the production area

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Increasing the Audit Choice

• Announced• Introduction of voluntary unannounced audits• Provide those who are long time certified with more

of a challenge• Two unannounced programmes• One part (Fully unannounced)• Two parts (The announced portion focused on

systems review and the unannounced on inspection)

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Enrolment Scheme

• Provide an entry point for sites developing food safety systems

• Allow all sites to be on the same road• Designed particularly for developing nations• Clear differentiation between enrolled and certified

sites

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The Requirements

• Key changes to the requirements – Evolution not Revolution

• Statements of Intent reworded and auditable• Clauses have been modified, moved or collated together• Each clause has the same weight or value• ‘Procedure’ means it must be documented• ‘Minimum’ means the minimally accepted internal

based on risk assessment• Risk assessments must be documented• Added detail on food safety issues to increase clarity

and consistency

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Main Changes to Requirements

• Extended requirements in key areas― supplier and raw materials controls― foreign body control― housekeeping and hygiene― allergen management― provenance / assurance claims

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Other Protocol

• A+ is the highest grade• Available only for unannounced audits• Corrective actions addressed within 28 days• Root cause analysis, timelines and review• Product recalls must be notified to CB within 3 days• CB’s will investigate reasons for recall• Audit to be conduct on or before due date• Traded goods no longer allowed in the scope• Audit grades A+, A, B+, B, C+, C, No Grade

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Senior Management Commitment and Continual Improvement (Section 1)

Review of Objectives― monitored and reported at least quarterly― include food safety and quality objectives― clear targets or measures of success

Management Review Records― good information inputs― output actions― actions monitored and completed

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Senior Management Commitment and Continual Improvement (Section 1)Deputies

― defined deputies when key managers absent― document arrangements― holiday periods― key issue for unannounced audits

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Quality Management Systems (Section 3)

• GMP audits required • Based on RA – minimum monthly• Supplier / material risk assessment• Outsourced products to be audited• Specifications to be reviewed – minimum 3 years• Traceability to account for full mass balance

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HACCP (Section 2)

• PRP’s now collected in one place• Must be included as part of HACCP review• New machinery introduction trigger HACCP review• HACCP validation to be based on objective evidence

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Site Standards (Section 4)

• Factory Plan to define production zones― Enclosed product area― Low risk areas― High care area― High risk area

• Process and personnel flows• Water storage and distribution

Plans

Cleaning and Hygiene

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Site Standards (Section 4)

• Defined and validated levels of cleaning performance• Hygiene and fabrication audits included within internal

audits• Assessment of line change over cleaning• Specific requirements for cleaning in place (CIP)

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Site Standards (Section 4)

• Separation of storage from transport• Inclusion of local company owned storage facilities• Transport requirements aligned with Storage and

Distribution Standard• Vehicle inspection• Stabilisation of load

Storage and Transport

New Product Development

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Product Control (Section 5)

• Applicable in all cases• HACCP study must be conducted• HACCP team must approve prior to production

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Product Control (Section 5)

• Requirements extended to address the issues identified through product recalls― More specific guidance on measures to avoid

cross contamination― Line start up and product change-over checks― Allergen awareness training for staff― Increase consideration of allergen risks in new

product development

Management of Allergens

Provenance and Claims

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Product Control (Section 5)

• Provenance• Assured status• Identity preserved• Procedures to prevent misleading claims• Mass balance checks

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Process Control (Section 6)

• Classification of site into production zones based on risk― Enclosed product areas― Low risk areas― High care areas― High risk areas

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Personnel (Section 7)

• Evidence of competency for CCP activities• Ear rings not permitted• Hand washing mandatory• Control of personal medicines• Medical screening mandatory• High risk / high care laundering services to be

audited• RA of non laundered items e.g. aprons, gloves and

chain mail

BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 6

Thank You