BRCGS Food Safety — the standard retailers ask for
BRCGS Food Safety (formerly BRC) is a globally recognised food safety standard. Many UK and international retailers require it. It applies to sites that slaughter, process and pack poultry — not to the live bird itself.
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BRCGS Food Safety (full name: the BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety, formerly known as the BRC standard) is one of the most widely required food safety standards in the world and is recognised by GFSI (the Global Food Safety Initiative). It was created with retail suppliers in mind: it confirms that a site producing, processing or packing food is in control of product safety, quality and legality.
Does a poultry farm need BRCGS?
Keeping poultry on the farm itself is not within BRCGS scope — the standard audits food manufacturing, processing and packing sites. In the poultry chain that means slaughterhouses, cutting and meat-processing plants, and packing sites. If you run or plan such a site and want to supply retailers — especially in the UK or for export — BRCGS is often a hard condition for getting onto the shelf.
What BRCGS Food Safety requires
The standard combines a management system, a HACCP plan and site control.
Senior management commitment
The standard requires food safety to be genuinely owned by senior management — with resources, objectives and a regular review of the system in place.
HACCP plan
A documented food safety plan based on Codex Alimentarius principles: hazard analysis and critical control points for every process on site.
Quality management system
Procedures, instructions and records that bring order to how the site runs — from document control to handling complaints and product recall.
Site standards and hygiene
Requirements for buildings, equipment, product and people flow, cleanliness and protection against physical, chemical and microbiological contamination.
Product and process control
Control of recipes, allergens, labelling, weight checks and process parameters, so the product is safe and matches what is declared.
Graded audit
An independent certification body runs the audit and assigns a grade (e.g. AA, A and below) depending on the number and severity of non-conformities. The audit repeats every year.
BRCGS Food Safety step by step
- 1
Confirm BRCGS applies to you
BRCGS audits food manufacturing, processing and packing sites — in poultry that means slaughterhouses, cutting plants and packing sites. If you run such a site and your buyers (retailers, exporters) require the standard, certification becomes a real goal.
- 2
Get to know the standard
Download the current issue of the BRCGS Food Safety standard and compare its requirements with the state of your site. This shows how much work stands between you and an audit.
- 3
Implement HACCP and a management system
Develop a HACCP plan, quality procedures, hygiene and traceability rules, and train the team. This is the most labour-intensive stage — it requires writing down processes and applying them day to day.
- 4
Choose an accredited certification body
The certificate is issued by an independent certification body approved by BRCGS. Choose one from the official directory and book a certification audit.
- 5
Pass the audit and receive a grade
The auditor checks documentation and the site in person, then assigns a grade based on non-conformities. Once these are closed, you receive the BRCGS certificate.
- 6
Maintain it — an audit every year
BRCGS requires re-audit on an annual cycle. Ongoing record-keeping and quickly closing non-conformities are the basis for holding your grade at renewal.
Frequently asked questions about BRCGS Food Safety
What is BRCGS and how does it differ from BRC?add
It is the same standard — “BRC” is the old name; today the brand BRCGS (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards) is used. BRCGS Food Safety is a food safety standard recognised by GFSI.
Does a poultry-rearing farm need BRCGS?add
Rearing birds alone usually does not. BRCGS audits food manufacturing, processing and packing sites — in poultry that means slaughterhouses, cutting plants and packing sites. Where retailers are the buyer, the certificate is often a condition of cooperation.
What does the audit grade mean in BRCGS?add
After the audit a site receives a grade (e.g. AA, A and below) that depends on the number and severity of the non-conformities found. A higher grade is a better result — some buyers require a defined minimum level.
Who requires BRCGS from a supplier?add
Most often retailers and export buyers — particularly in the UK market. For many retailers a GFSI-recognised certificate such as BRCGS is a standard condition for approving a supplier.
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