What documentation should be included in a BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 9 compliant Food Safety Management System?
In order to understand what documentation is required in a BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 9 compliant Food Safety Management System we need to consider the main requirements of the standard in this area:
Section 3 Food Safety and Quality Management System
3.1 Food safety and quality manual
Clause 3.1.1 “The company’s processes and procedures to meet the requirements of this Standard shall be documented to allow effective, consistent application, facilitate training, and support due diligence in the production of a safe product”
Also
3.3 Record completion and maintenance
“The site shall maintain genuine records to demonstrate the effective control of product safety, legality and quality”
In establishing a compliant system, it is therefore necessary to establish comprehensive documentation that covers the requirements of the standard. In order to do this and for ease of implementation in our implementation packages we provide a BRCGS Compliant Food Safety Management System with documents that match the requirements of the standard:
For Section 1 Senior management commitment we include the following documents relevant to the main clauses:
1.1 Senior Management Commitment
1.1.1 Food Safety and Quality Policy 1.1.2 Food Safety Culture
1.1.2 Food Safety Culture Planning
1.1.3 Food Safety and Quality Objectives
1.1.4 Senior Management Review
1.1.4 Appendix Senior Management Review Record 1.1.5 Management Meetings
1.1.6 Appendix Integrity Helpline
1.1.6 Confidential Reporting System
1.1.7 Human and Financial Resources
1.2 Responsibility and Authority
1.2 Organizational Chart
1.2 Responsibility Appendix Example Job Descriptions
1.2A Communication
For Section 2 The food safety plan – HACCP we include the following documents relevant to the main clauses:
2 HACCP System Overview
2.1.1 HACCP Team
2.1.2 HACCP Scope
2.2 HACCP Prerequisites
2.3 HACCP Product Description and Relevant Information
2.4 HACCP Intended Use
2.5 HACCP Flow Diagrams
2.6 HACCP Flow Diagram Verification
2.7.1 Hazard Identification
2.7.2 Hazard Assessment
2.7.3 Identification of Control Measures
2.8 Identification of Critical Control Points (CCPs)
2.9 Establishing Validated Critical Limits for each CCP
2.10 Establishing a Monitoring System for each CCP
2.11 Establishing a Corrective Action Plan
2.12 Validating the HACCP Plan and Establishing Verification Procedures
2.13 Establishing HACCP Documents and Records
For Section 3 Food Safety and Quality Management System we include the following documents relevant to the main clauses:
3.1 Food Safety and Quality Management System 3.2 Appendix Document Master List
3.2 Document Control
3.3 Appendix Record Register
3.3 Control of Records
3.4 Internal Audits & Inspections
3.4 Internal Audit & Inspection Schedule
3.5 Supplier and Raw Material Approval and Monitoring 3.6 Specifications
3.7 Corrective Action and Preventive Action
3.7 Appendix Corrective Action Request
3.7 Appendix Preventative Action Request
3.7 Appendix Root Cause Analysis
3.8 Control of Non-Conforming Product
3.9 Identification and Traceability
3.10 Management of Customer Complaints
3.11.1 Business Continuity Planning
3.11.2 Product Recall Procedure
For Section 4 Site Standards we include the following documents relevant to the main clauses:
4 Site Standards
4.1 External Standards and Site Security
4.2 Food Defense
4.2.1 Control of Visitors and Contractors
4.3 Layout, Product Flow and Segregation
4.3 Factory Plan
4.3 Filling Area Layout Flow Diagram
4.4 Building Fabric
4.5 Utilities – Water and Air
4.6 Equipment
4.7 Maintenance
4.8 Staff Facilities
4.9 Product Contamination Control
4.9.1 Chemical Contamination Control
4.9.2 Metal Contamination Control
4.9.3 Control of Brittle Materials
4.9.4 Control of Products Packed into Brittle Containers
4.9.5 Control of Wood
4.10 Foreign Body Detection and Removal
4.11 Housekeeping and Hygiene
4.12 Waste & Waste Disposal
4.13 Management of Surplus Food and Products for Animal Feed 4.14 Pest Management
4.15 Storage
4.16 Dispatch and Transport
For Section 5 Product control we include the following documents relevant to the main clauses:
5.1 Product Design & Development
5.2 Product Labelling
5.3 Appendix Types of Allergens
5.3 Management of Allergens Introduction
5.4 Product Authenticity, Claims & Chain of Custody
5.5 Product Packaging
5.6.1 Product inspection, Onsite Product Testing and Laboratory Analysis
5.6.2 Laboratory Quality Manual
5.7 Product Release
5.8 Pet Food and Animal Feed
5.9 Animal Primary Conversion
For Section 6 Process control we include the following documents relevant to the main clauses:
6.1 Control of Operations
6.2 Labelling and Pack Control
6.3 Quantity Control
6.4 Calibration
For Section 7 Personnel we include the following documents relevant to the main clauses:
7.1 Training
7.2 Personal Hygiene
7.3 Medical Screening
7.4 Protective Clothing
7.4 Appendix Protective Clothing Risk Assessment
For Section 8 Production Risk Zones we include document 8 Production Risk Zones High Risk, High Care and Ambient High Care Production Risk Zones which includes:
8.1 Layout, product flow and segregation in high-risk, high-care and ambient high-care zones
8.2 Building fabric in high-risk and high-care zones
8.3 Maintenance in high-risk and high-care zones
8.4 Staff facilities for high-risk and high-care zones
8.5 Housekeeping and hygiene in high-risk and high-care zones 8.6 Waste/waste disposal in high-risk, high-care zones
8.7 Protective clothing in high-risk and high-care zones
For Section 9 Requirements for Traded Products, we include the following documents relevant to the main clauses:
9.1 The Food Safety Plan – HACCP for Traded Products
9.2 Approval and Performance Monitoring of Manufacturers/Packers of Traded Food Products
9.3 Specifications
9.4 Product Inspection and Laboratory Testing
9.5 Product Legality
9.6 Traceability
The extent of documentation will be dependent on the complexity of the operation and the number of different types of products manufactured/processed. For example, you will require HACCP/Food Safety Plans, product descriptions and finished product specifications for all products. For HACCP some products of a similar nature/process can be grouped so reducing the amount of documentation needed.
Your documentation will also need to be supported by other relevant documents, for example, for 6.1 Control of Operations there will need to be work instructions/standard operating procedures.
For all aspects of your Food Safety Management System you will need to have documented evidence that confirms that you are operating as described in your documented procedures. This means you will require relevant controlled completed records that demonstrate compliance with customer, regulatory and statutory requirements and also another other requirement of the BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 9.