Today marks the launch of the Global Standard Food Safety Issue 9. Originally developed and published in 1998, the Standard has since developed and evolved to become the leading global food safety programme with over 22,000 certificated sites across more than 130 countries.
The Standard provides a framework for food manufacturers to assist them in the production of safe, authentic, legal food and to manage quality to meet customer requirements. Certification against the Standard is already recognised globally by many different types of stakeholders in the food industry, including retailers and specifiers, and as the leading Consumer Protection Organisation (CPO), BRCGS works hard to demonstrate the value of this certification to the global supply chain, including the end consumer.
Furthermore, independent research, carried out by the University of Birkbeck, demonstrates that organisations operating to BRCGS standards improve food safety, operational efficiency, commercial growth, improved profitability and broad-based innovation. Also, an independent study from the respected Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) concluded that sites with BRCGS certification reported fewer non-compliances with regulation than both non-certified organisations and those operating to other certification programmes and reiterates the advantages of a robust certification scheme such as BRCGS.
John Kukoly, Director of BRCGS, said: “Today we have hit a huge milestone in the launch of Issue 9. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone at BRCGS who has worked to make this happen. I would also like to thank those who were involved in the standard development through our global working groups as, without their contribution, we wouldn’t be where we are today. BRCGS has a long history of not only being the leading standard in the food industry but also providing an effective guide for your business to implement best practice. As supply chains evolve in this dynamic business environment, BRCGS is here to support your food safety needs through certification”.
The development of Issue 9 involved global industry experts representing all aspects of the industry and wide consultation. This ensured an appropriate review of all emerging issues in the food industry today. The requirements in the final version launched today represent an evolution from previous issues and, amongst other things, build on the requirements for product safety culture and core competencies – topics we explore in more detail in our recent articles.
The Standard has been updated at regular intervals to reflect the latest thinking in food safety and to encourage the adoption of the Standard worldwide. The review process ensures that those who use the Standard continue to see value with each evolution. Richa Bedi-Navik, Senior Global Standards Manager at BRCGS said: “The Food Safety Standard facilitates a process of continual improvement through well-designed, risk-based product safety management. It is important for the Standard to be periodically reviewed and updated due the ever-evolving nature of the industry. Whilst some previous issues of the standard have led the way in terms of new content development, more often, it can be making small changes to help certificated sites develop robust food safety systems, which is a key principle of continual improvement. This is the case with Issue 9 and the launch is an event that deserves recognition”.
BRCGS will be hosting a series of launch webinars and roadshows to ensure the food safety industry is up-to-date on the new issue. For those who will be implementing the new requirements, training courses are available through the BRCGS Academy and its global network of approved training partners. Whilst the launch webinars will provide an overview of the key changes, attending a training courses is the only way for personnel at certificated sites to learn the detail behind the standard and how to implement the requirements.
The new issue and supporting guidance are available for certificated sites to access through BRCGS Participate. Otherwise, a copy of the publications can be purchased via the BRCGS Store.
