Global Food Standard

Het British Retail Consortium heeft versie 6 van BRC Global Standard for Food uitgebracht, die vanaf januari 2012 worden gehanteerd bij BRC-audits. De belangrijkste verschillen ten opzichte van versie 5 zijn:

  1. Uitbreiding van de normparagrafen die gaan over hygiëne, reiniging, voorkomen van besmetting van productvreemde bestanddelen alsook allergenen;
  2. Nieuwe methodiek van vrijwillige onaangekondigde audits in twee fasen;
  3. Samenvoeging van normparagrafen met overeenkomstige onderwerpen: dit draagt bij aan consistentie van classificatie van de auditresultaten.
  4. Een nieuwe eis voor ongediertebeheersing in paragraaf 4.13.8. waarbij periodieke (typisch elk kwartaal, op basis van   risico) ‘diepte-onderzoeken’ moeten worden uitgevoerd door ongedierte experts om te beoordelen of de genomen maatregelen om ongedierte te weren effectief zijn.
  5. Handelsproducten worden niet langer toegestaan in de scope van de certificering evenals woorden als verkoop, handel,marketing, kweek, distributieen aflevering
  6. Er zijn 2 opties voor onaangekondigde audits, beide met een vrijwillig karakter:

Optie 1  – volledige onaangekondigde audit zoals in versie 5

Optie 2  – een  audit in twee delen, waarvan deel 1 een onaangekondigede audit is grotendeels gericht op productie-  activteiten good manufacturing practice en deel 2 een aangekondigede audit op de gangbare auditdata is grotendeels  gericht op beoordeling van documentatiesystemen, procedures en registraties

De belangrijkste wijzigingen in de gestelde eisen in BRC Global Standards Issue 6:

Section 1  – Senior Management Commitment
1.10 Recurring issues: a newly designed clause to be used where recurring Issues are raised at consecutive audits indicating the underlying causes of non conformities have not been addressed.
Section 2 – The Food Safety Management System – HACCP
2.2 Prerequisite programs: New requirement  which has been introduced to show the link between  prerequisite programmes and the HACCP process.
Section 3 – Food Safety and Quality Management System
3.4 Internal audit: extended requirements  to include process/environment Inspections
3.5.1 Assessment of raw materials  as the basis for establishing raw material supplier approval and sampling regimes.
3.5.4 Management of outsourced processing : new issue
3.7 Requirements for corrective actions
3.8 Control of non conforming products : new issue
3.9 Traceability: new inclusion of  guidelines for the time of 4 hours maximum, to retrieve records
3.11.4 Product recall : new requirement to notify the Certification Body within 3 days where a recall is undertaken.
Section 4 – Site Standards
4.2.1 Risk assesment: A documented risk assessment of security arrangements is now included to ensure security risks     are adequately addressed.
4.3.1 Extension with the requirement for a site plan showing different risk zones.
4.3.2 Incorporation of process and staff  flows
4.3.5 Segregation between high care and low risk areas: Increased requirements to control the risk from pathogens.
4.4 Building fabric: condensed
4.5.2 Water: a plan of the water system is now required
4.8 High risk/high care areas: a decisiontree has been set up to estimate if  high risk/high care areas are required and a new guideline is set up to ensure a  consistent interpretation.
4.8.4 Changing facilities:  : Increased requirements to control the risk from pathogens.
4.9 Chemical and physical contamination:  extension of demands
4.10 Methods for detection and removal of foreign material :  extension of demands
4.11.2 Requirement added  for defined and validated cleaning standards appropriate for the particular risk
4.11.3 Planning of cleaning : the cleaning of equipment is only acceptable outside of production periods
4.11.6 Cleaning in Place (CIP): introduction of new more detailed requirements
4.12.3 Use of “waste” food for animal feed: new requirements to ensure correct handling of products for animal feed
4.13.2 Pest control: revision to improve clarity on the expectations of a site where pest control is undertaken by the site
4.13.8 Pest control: quarterly  in depth pest control surveys in addition to the routine pest control measures s to provide an overview of the pest control programme
4.15 Transport: details added to the management of dispatch and vehicle checks.
Off site storage: must be included in or specifically excluded from the audit if owned by the company and  within 50 Km of the main site.
Section 5 – Product Control
5.1 Product design and development: slight revision to prevent  that the development process unwittingly introduces new hazards to the production facility without proper consideration of this.
5.1.1 Guidelines on products for development are added    5.1.2 Addition of sign off of new products by the HACCP team leader to ensure control of new hazards
5.2 Allergens  : revision to ensure full addressing of the main causes
5.2.3 3   Risk assessment: extension of list of controls to be taken in  consideration
5.2.4 Allergen control procedures: further extension of demands
5.2.6 Allergen warning statements: must be used in line with legislative or industry guidelines where cross contamination cannot be prevented
5.2.8 Removal of allergenic materials:  new demands for validation of cleaning methods  when changing products
5.2.9 General allergen awareness training: to be given to all production staff for correct understanding the issue
5.2.10 Label check: Validation of labelcheck on allergendeclaration  at product change
5.3 Identification of  preserved materials
5.3.1 Verification of origin of raw materials : new issue
5.3.2 Halfyearly mass balance check of raw materials: new issue
5.3.3 Procesflow review for identification and control of identity loss:new issue
5.4.1 Food contact packaging: extension of requirements on certificates of conformity with the obligation to share info on product characteristics and usageto obtain the correct packaging
Section 6 – Process Control
6.1 Operationscontrol: rewritten to ensure production process management through recipes and process specs
6.1.6 Process start up: demands added on productionline checks prior to start up and at product changes
6.1.7 Start up packaging process:  demands added for control on checks for the usage of correct packaging material and coding
Section 7 – Personnel
7.1.4 Training: new requirement for retrieving training records for agency trained staff.
7.4.4 4   Auditing of laundries: restricted application to laundries for High care/high risk clothing

Good4Food Consultants kan u begeleiden naar een succesvolle implementatie van BRC Global Food Standard.