Key Elements of the Food Safety Modernization Act and the Global Food Safety Initiative
What’s New in BRCGS Food Issue 9?
BRCGS and Food Safety Modernization Act
FSMA Preventive Controls and HARPC
Your First Step in the Journey to Full BRCGS Food Safety Certification
Achieving full certification to the BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety can be challenging for some smaller food production companies. BRCGS START! is an effective stepping stone to achieving full BRCGS Food Safety Certification. BRCGS Food Safety Certification is a recognized GFSI certification standard, accepted by most retailers and food businesses worldwide.
Summary
BRCGS START! is an effective stepping stone to achieving full BRCGS Food Safety Certification.
Certification is achieved by undertaking a third-party audit against Standard requirements by an accredited certification body (CB). BRCGS rates CBs on their technical performance and efficiency in customer service. FoodChain ID Certification is a highly rated CB providing accredited BRCGS certification globally.
The Standard
Under BRCGS START!, companies may choose to be audited to either the Basic or Intermediate level.
Basic level
The requirements are designed to ensure legal compliance as a minimum and are equivalent to or exceed the requirements of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) basic level.
Intermediate level
The requirements build upon legal compliance to include more detailed requirements, an expansion of the HACCP process and the development of a quality management system.
The START! Program is designed to encourage continual improvement and assist sites in developing their food safety systems to a point where they can achieve full certification. All the clauses at the Basic and Intermediate levels of the START! Program are the same as or closely derived from the clauses in the full BRCGS for Food Safety.
The Benefits
BRCGS START! provides small to medium food manufacturing business with the opportunity to appear on the BRCGS Directory.
The program:
- Provides a clearly defined audit and certification process operated in accordance with the requirements of accreditation.
- Uses auditors that meet the demanding competency requirements of BRCGS.
- Enables companies achieving basic and intermediate levels to appear in the publicly available part of the BRCGS Directory, thereby recognizing their achievements.
- Uses requirements based on the Standard, enabling the basic and intermediate levels to provide effective stepping stones towards full certification.
- Requires completion of corrective actions on any non-conformities before certification at the basic or intermediate level is awarded, thus reducing the need for customers to follow up on audit reports.
