The British Retail Consortium

The British Retail Consortium (BRC), a UK trade organization that represents UK retailers, developed the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety. The British Retail Consortium was formed in January 1992 when the British Retailers’ Association and the Retail Consortium merged. In 1998 BRC produced the first edition of the BRC Food Technical Standard and Protocol for food suppliers. This standard has been widely adopted not just throughout the UK but around the world.

History of BRC Global Standards:

1998 BRC Global Standard for Food Safety first published.
2000 BRC Global Standard for Food Safety the first GFSI recognised standard.
2001 BRC Global Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials first published.
2003 BRC Global Standard for Consumer Products first published.
2006 BRC Global Standard for Storage & Distribution first published.
2014 BRC Global Standard for Agents and Brokers first published.
2016 BRC Global Standard for Retail first published.

In 2016 BRC Global Standards were acquired by LGC Group so they are no longer controlled and managed by the British Retail Consortium.

The BRC Global Standard for Food Safety is one of the most popular certification standards and has been adopted by food manufacturers all around the world, especially by those organizations supplying British retailers. Third party certification to the standard helps manufacturers demonstrate compliance with customer, regulatory and statutory requirements and hence assists in providing a due diligence defence.

The latest version of the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 8 was published on the 1st August 2018. The standard is prescriptive and specifies safety, quality and operational criteria expected of compliant food manufacturing organisations.

The principal requirements of the standard are the implementation of a HACCP system, a documented food safety quality management system and a control of factory environmental standards, products, processes and personnel. Implementing an effective food safety and quality management system requires commitment of senior management to develop policies, objectives and systems that collectively assure food quality and safety. The standard places a high priority on clear evidence of senior management commitment including the need to have management review, with the involvement of senior management, to identify opportunities and take the appropriate actions in order to continually improve.