BRC (British Retail Consortium) is one of the most widely recognized food safety standards, accepted by manufacturers around the world, especially for products intended for the UK market.
The British Retail Consortium started developing technical food safety regulations in 1992, and in 1998, they published the first version of the technical standard and protocol for food suppliers. Since then, it has evolved, with new versions being released each year to introduce new food safety techniques such as food culture and food fraud.
The BRC food safety standard facilitates the standardization of quality, safety, consumer criteria, and compliance with all legal regulations. Additionally, the BRC helps protect consumers’ health by enabling organizations to:
- Access markets that require BRC certification
- Gain international recognition for food safety
- Receive BRC audits and reports
- Get listed in the BRC directory of certified companies
The BRC system involves checking food producers, and once certification is successfully completed by an accredited BRC certification body, the company gains certified status, which is renewed annually with the issuance of a BRC certificate.