What is BRC?
For food processing companies that supply the retail sector, there is a separate certification based on the BRC standard. This standard sets out the hygiene and food safety requirements. In most cases, a food processing company does not qualify for such certification: this is almost always required by the major retailers in the Netherlands.
The name BRC is the abbreviation for British Retail Consortium. This BRC standard contains the hygiene and food safety requirements for (food processing) companies operating in the Netherlands. If you, as an entrepreneur in the food sector, deliver to major retailers, there is a good chance that your customers will require the BRC certificate. However, as a manufacturer or supplier, you only need to complete a BRC audit to qualify for the certificate. This allows you to immediately demonstrate to all your relations that you meet the set requirements.
Benefits of BRC certification
Benefits of BRC certification
The auditors who carry out the review are fully registered with BRC and have years of experience in the food industry. This ensures optimal service.
An audit is always carried out by an accredited institution, so that each certificate issued will be accepted by each retailer. If desired, a BRC certification can be carried out in combination with another certification such as ISO 9001, ISO 22000, HACCP and IFS. Ahead of the actual audit, it is possible to have the management system you are currently using reviewed, a so-called trial audit.
ISO 22000 & FSSC 22000 certification
In the food industry, there has been a desire for years to achieve a uniform audit. British, Dutch, Belgian, French and German retailers, among many other buyers, have separate ways of assessing the quality of their suppliers. The result is easy to guess: in addition to a lot of bureaucracy, producers face a multitude of inspections without a uniform standard. This is associated with high costs, a good reason to ensure better coordination and to work to simplify the package of requirements. This is why others like ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 have been developed.
BRC-IOP certification
In addition to the BRC standard, there is also a standard that supervises the hygienic production of packaging materials for the food sector: the BRC-IOP certification.
BRC and HACCP certification
The BRC certification has a remarkable number of similarities with that other standard in the food industry: the HACCP. Within BRC, there is also a risk analysis in accordance with the HACCP standard. In addition, critical points with regard to food safety (CCPs) must be demonstrably secured. The difference, however, is that BRC sets more requirements in other areas, including hygiene and structural aspects. As a HACCP-certified organization, if you also want to have a BRC certificate, it is important to also pay attention to the other aspects. This is because this is included in the audit. If you wish, a BRC audit can be combined with a periodic certification or recertification for HACCP.
Managing and monitoring BRC
Management System
Why a digital management system for BRC?
Many organizations have already switched from a âhandbook in the closetâ to an environment such as SharePoint or a Document Management System to also be able to view their documentation remotely.
But then these questions and sources of stress linger:
- How to make access registrations easy?
- How do I easily keep all checklists at hand?
- Why can't I easily do my registrations?
- How do I get an overview of pending tasks?
- Which rounds of audits have been done and planned?
- How do I really understand which processes need to be tackled structurally differently?
- How do I inform and convince my colleagues of the usefulness of certain processes?
- How can I track easily?
ISO2 HANDLE
Why ISO2HANDLE's management system?
because ISO2 HANDLE tracks, chases and maps everything for you, giving you control and overview and continuously managing the certification in the background.
Our platform helps with all the activities associated with obtaining and maintaining certifications, in all phases from implementation to optimization:
Deploy:
- âUse our BRC template and customize with the drag & drop editor
- Personalize forms
- Apply workflow schedules so that registrations are automatically forwarded to the right colleague
Adopt:
- Handbook and forms are also accessible via mobile
- Automatic task management keeps track of all pending actions in a clear dashboard
Monitors:
- Dashboards in the blink of an eye with trend & cost analysis
- Track your KPIs
Optimization & Audits:
- Access for Certification Authorities; decide the components and time limit yourself
- Download and share dashboards and reports
Consultancy firms
Partner network of organizational consulting firms
ISO2 HANDLE works for a large number of certification advice agencies in the Netherlands, each with their own expertise and focus. A consultancy firm helps with the customized implementation and provides substantive advice on how the processes surrounding certification seamlessly fit with your organization and way of working. They can also help switch from your current system to ISO2 HANDLE.
