Global Food Safety Standard
BRCGS (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards) Food Safety Standard is required by the world's largest retailers. Affinity QMS provides the document control, CAPA, internal audit, and supplier management systems food manufacturers need to achieve BRCGS certification and maintain Grade AA status.
Overview
BRCGS (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards), formerly known as the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standards, is a GFSI-recognized food safety management system standard developed in the UK and now applied worldwide. The BRCGS Food Safety Standard is one of the most rigorous and widely required food safety certifications in the global food industry, recognized in over 130 countries and required by major retailers including Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda, Lidl, Aldi, and Costco UK, among many others.
BRCGS Issue 9, the current version of the standard, was released in 2022 and introduced enhanced requirements for food safety culture, vulnerability assessments (VACCP), environmental monitoring programs, and supply chain controls. Issue 9 places greater emphasis on senior management commitment to food safety culture — an area increasingly scrutinized by auditors — and requires documented evidence of culture measurement activities beyond simply posting food safety policies.
BRCGS audits come in two types: announced (facility has advance notice of the audit date) and unannounced (the certification body arrives without prior notice within a defined window). Facilities that achieve a Grade A on their announced audit and elect the voluntary unannounced audit option can achieve Grade AA — the highest grade — which is required by many premium retail customers and increasingly specified in supplier contracts. A BRCGS certificate is valid for 12 months, with recertification audits required annually.
BRCGS grading is based on the number and severity of non-conformances found during the audit. Critical non-conformances (representing an immediate food safety risk or potential for fraud) result in automatic audit failure. Major non-conformances (significant failures of a clause) result in grade penalties. The grade scale runs from AA (highest, unannounced) through A, B, C, and D (lowest passing grade); any certificate below Grade C is generally unacceptable to major retail buyers.
Standard Structure
BRCGS Issue 9 is organized into seven sections, each addressing a distinct aspect of food safety and quality management. Affinity QMS maps to requirements across all seven sections.
SECTION 1
Food safety policy, management review, organizational structure, resource management, and food safety culture documentation and measurement activities.
SECTION 2
Full Codex Alimentarius HACCP plan including hazard analysis, CCPs, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, verification, and VACCP (vulnerability assessment for food fraud).
SECTION 3
Document and data control, records management, internal auditing, supplier approval programs, corrective and preventive action, and complaint management systems.
SECTION 4
Facility design, maintenance, hygiene, pest control, waste management, and environmental monitoring program requirements applicable to the physical production environment.
SECTION 5
Product design and development, allergen management, product authenticity, claims substantiation, product packaging, and product inspection and testing programs.
SECTION 6
Control of operations, quantity control, calibration and measuring equipment management, and process monitoring to ensure consistent production of safe and legal products.
SECTION 7
Training and competency management, personal hygiene and medical screening, and protective clothing requirements for all personnel including contractors and visitors.
Platform Mapping
| BRCGS Requirement | Issue 9 Reference | Affinity QMS Module | What It Does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Document and Record Control | §3.3 | Document Control | Controlled document authoring, approval workflows, version history, document distribution, and record retention aligned to BRCGS retention schedules |
| Internal Audits | §3.4 | Audit Management | Annual internal audit program scheduling, BRCGS clause-mapped checklists, finding tracking, corrective action linkage, and mock unannounced audit preparation |
| Supplier Approval and Monitoring | §3.5 | Supplier Management | Approved supplier register, risk-based supplier qualification, BRCGS-accepted approval methods documentation (audit, questionnaire, CoA), and supplier performance review records |
| Corrective and Preventive Action | §3.7 | CAPA Management | Non-conformance reporting, root cause analysis, corrective action plans with due dates and ownership, effectiveness verification, and recurrence tracking |
| Training and Competency | §7.1 | Training Management | Role-based training records, induction training, food safety culture awareness training, competency assessments, and refresher training scheduling |
Who This Is For
Food Safety Manager / Technical Manager
The person responsible for the BRCGS certification program needs a QMS that manages the HACCP plan, internal audit schedule, non-conformances, and supplier approvals — all in one platform with clear audit trails for the BRCGS certification body auditor.
Operations Director Targeting UK / European Retail
US food manufacturers entering UK or European retail distribution channels who are receiving BRCGS certification requirements from retail buyers for the first time. Affinity QMS shortens the path to first-time BRCGS certification with pre-built BRCGS-aligned templates.
QA Director Targeting Grade AA
Facilities already certified at Grade A targeting Grade AA for premium retail customer requirements. The Audit Management module's mock unannounced audit workflow simulates the BRCGS unannounced audit process so your team maintains readiness at all times, not just in the weeks before the scheduled audit window.
Common Questions
What is the difference between BRC and BRCGS?
BRC stands for British Retail Consortium, the organization that originally published the Global Standard for Food Safety in 1998. In 2019, the organization rebranded its standards division as BRCGS (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards) to reflect that the standard had evolved well beyond UK retail requirements and was being adopted globally. The certification program previously known as BRC Global Standard for Food Safety is now officially the BRCGS Food Safety Standard. Both terms appear in supplier contracts and industry communications, but they refer to the same standard and certification program. The current version is BRCGS Issue 9 (published 2022), and audits are conducted by BRCGS-approved certification bodies.
What changed in BRCGS Issue 9 compared to Issue 8?
BRCGS Issue 9 introduced several significant changes from Issue 8. The most notable are enhanced food safety culture requirements in Section 1, requiring facilities to actively measure and demonstrate culture improvement (not just document a culture statement); expanded vulnerability assessment (VACCP) requirements in the food fraud mitigation section; more detailed environmental monitoring program requirements; and revised supplier approval requirements allowing a broader range of approval methods while requiring risk-based reassessment schedules. Issue 9 also restructured some clauses and introduced a new "Fundamental" category for clauses where non-compliance results in automatic audit failure regardless of how minor the deviation appears.
What does Grade AA mean and how do you achieve it?
Grade AA is the highest BRCGS certification grade, achieved by facilities that successfully complete an unannounced audit with a Grade A result. To be eligible for Grade AA, a facility must first hold a current BRCGS certificate at Grade A (obtained through an announced audit with no major non-conformances). The facility then opts into the unannounced audit program, during which the certification body auditor will arrive unannounced within a defined window (typically a 28-week window within the certification year). If the unannounced audit results in Grade A performance, the facility is awarded Grade AA for that certification cycle. Grade AA is increasingly required by premium retailers in the UK and Europe as a minimum supplier standard.
How much does BRCGS certification cost?
BRCGS certification costs depend on the certification body selected, facility size, scope of audit (number of product categories), and number of audit days required. A typical initial BRCGS audit for a mid-size food manufacturer runs $4,000–$10,000 for the audit itself. Unannounced audits for Grade AA add additional cost. BRCGS also charges a directory fee for listing the certificate on the BRCGS directory (a requirement for the certificate to be recognized by retail buyers). Consultants to support initial preparation commonly charge $5,000–$25,000. Affinity QMS significantly reduces consultant dependency by providing structured templates and automated workflows, reducing the time and cost of getting audit-ready.
Is BRCGS better than SQF for US food manufacturers?
Neither standard is universally "better" — the right choice depends on your customers and target markets. SQF dominates the US domestic retail market and is more commonly required by US retailers (Walmart, Kroger, Target, Whole Foods). BRCGS is more commonly required by UK and European retailers and by global food companies with roots in the UK or Europe. US food manufacturers exporting to UK/European markets or supplying subsidiaries of UK/European retailers in the US often need BRCGS specifically. Many large food manufacturers pursue both SQF and BRCGS to cover all customer requirements simultaneously. Affinity QMS supports both frameworks, and if you are certified in one, the internal audit and document control infrastructure transfers substantially to the other with module configuration adjustments rather than a full rebuild.
What happens if a critical non-conformance is found during a BRCGS audit?
A critical non-conformance in BRCGS results in audit failure — no certificate is issued, and the certification body reports the situation to BRCGS. The facility must take immediate corrective action to address the critical issue and demonstrate through documented evidence that the root cause has been identified and corrected. A full re-audit (not just a follow-up records review) is required before certification can be granted following a critical non-conformance. Critical non-conformances are defined as situations that pose an immediate risk to food safety, legality, or that constitute deliberate fraud. BRCGS maintains a database of audit results accessible to registered users, meaning retail buyers can see a facility's audit history including any failed audits.
Related Resources
See how Affinity QMS maps to BRCGS Issue 9 requirements across document control, internal audits, CAPA, and supplier management — so your team is audit-ready every day of the year, not just audit week.
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