In short: The BRCGS Food Safety Standard is a private, GFSI-benchmarked certification scheme requiring annual third-party audits of food manufacturing sites, covering hazard analysis, food safety culture and supply chain transparency.
What the scheme is
BRCGS Food Safety is a private certification scheme owned and published by BRCGS, a standards and certification body headquartered in the United Kingdom. It is not a legal requirement but is widely required by retailers and brand owners as a condition of supply. The scheme is benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative, which means it is recognised as meeting GFSI’s requirements for food safety management system standards. Major retailers and brand owners across Europe and globally accept BRCGS certification as evidence that a manufacturing site meets a defined level of food safety control.
Scope
The standard applies to food manufacturing sites including primary processing, packing and storage operations. It covers hazard analysis and critical control points, food safety culture, management commitment, site standards, product control and supply chain transparency. Sites that handle Ukrainian food products for export, such as berry processors, grain millers or dairy manufacturers, may hold BRCGS certification to meet buyer requirements in EU markets.
How certification works
Certification requires an annual third-party audit conducted by a certification body accredited by a recognised accreditation body. Audits may be announced or unannounced depending on the grade achieved. Sites are graded based on the number and severity of non-conformities found during the audit, with grades ranging from the highest level down to a fail. A site that fails does not receive a certificate. Certificates are issued by the certification body, not by BRCGS directly.
How buyers verify a certificate
BRCGS operates a public directory where buyers can search for certificated sites by name, location or certificate number and verify the current status and grade of a certificate. Buyers sourcing from Ukrainian manufacturers should check the directory directly rather than relying solely on a copy of the certificate provided by the supplier, as certificates can be suspended or withdrawn between audit cycles.
Using the certificate in supplier approval
A certificate is a starting point, not the end of supplier approval. Read the scope statement against the products you buy, check whether any product or process is excluded, and note the audit grade and whether the audit was announced or unannounced. Ask for the full audit report and the corrective action record, not only the certificate, and diarise the expiry date so a lapsed certificate is noticed before the next delivery. Where a buyer’s customer names a different GFSI-benchmarked scheme, compare the scheme requirements before asking a supplier to add a second certificate.
