Every few years the British Retail Consortium (BRC) review their Food Safety Standard and in July of this year Issue 6 of the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety has just been released and will come into force on 1st January 2012. This may seem a long time off, but in actual fact it’s only 21 weeks away. Audits prior to this date will still adhere to Issue 5, but if you have a scheduled (or unannounced) audit in the New Year it’s essential that you’re aware of the changes in the newly updated Standard.
So what are the main differences?
The focus in 2012 is very much on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) in food production areas, the importance of effective food safety plans and greater consistency and options in the auditing process. Clauses concerning foreign body control, hygiene and housekeeping, supplier management and allergen management have been expanded, but the number of overall clauses has been reduced. These changes obviously have an effect on grading. There is also a new voluntary two-tier unannounced audit scheme.
If the prospect of ploughing through page upon page of literature to identify all the changes and how they will affect your next audit is about as appealing as an E-coli outbreak, don’t worry – we’ve already done it for you. Our BRC Issue 6 Update course has been designed to help food manufacturers and processors prepare for their next audit with confidence. It also contains a special section on managing allergens to help you meet the requirements of section 5.2 of the revised Standard.
The course is already proving extremely popular, so much so that we’ve added some extra dates. More info can be found on our main site, but course dates are listed below. Be sure to book your place as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Contact Claire Lennon on 01756 700802 or email claire.lennon@vwa.co.uk for further details or to book on any of the courses.