Our aim is to be BRC accredited by the end of the year. What does this actually mean?

British Retail Consortium's (BRC) Global Standard - Food

This Standard was originally developed in 1998 (and has been updated 4 times since then) by the British Retail Consortium to assist retailers in their fulfillment of their legal obligations and for the protection of consumers by providing a common basis for audits and checks. Originally developed for the supply of retail branded goods, its more recently been used across the food industry, both here in the UK and abroad. It has been recognized as being the best practice throughout the food industry.

Its objective is to specify the safety, quality and also the operational criteria that should be in place in a food manufacturing organization. It offers the benefits of being a single standard that is fully comprehensive in its scope, covering all areas of quality, hygiene and product safety. In addition, food manufacturers can also use the standard to ensure that their suppliers are following good hygiene practices.

BRC Certification will be achieved once an evaluation has taken place by a recognized and certified body, with regular evaluations at specified frequencies to ensure continuous conformity and compliance with the Standard.

Accreditation allows the consumers, suppliers and purchasers to have confidence in the quality and safety of the product.