BRCGS / FSSC 22000 — Global Food Safety Standards for Export
If you want to supply UK supermarkets, European FMCG buyers, or global food service chains, your buyer will specify either BRCGS Food Safety or FSSC 22000 — not just ISO 22000 or HACCP. These are the private standards owned by retailer groups and the food industry. They add requirements beyond ISO 22000.
BRCGS
British Retail Consortium — owned by UK retailers
FSSC 22000
ISO 22000 + sector PRPs + FSSC additions
Grade
BRCGS grades A to D — Grade A is highest
Your factory is implementing BRCGS or FSSC 22000 and every step of your work is part of the evidence. These standards are particularly rigorous on allergen management, product labelling, traceability, and unannounced audits. Your job is to follow procedures exactly — BRCGS auditors conduct unannounced visits.
Unannounced
BRCGS allows unannounced audits
Allergen
Critical control point — two-point verification
Labelling
Every label verified against formulation
Quick reference. BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 (current). Site categories 1-8 based on product risk. Graded: A, B, C, D (A = outstanding). Unannounced audit option available. FSSC 22000 v6 = ISO 22000:2018 + sector ISO/TS (e.g. ISO/TS 22002-1 for food manufacturing) + FSSC additional requirements. FSSC recognised by GFSI. BRCGS also GFSI-benchmarked.
BRCGS Issue 9
Current version
GFSI
Both BRCGS and FSSC benchmarked
FSSC 22000 v6
Current version
BRCGS (British Retail Consortium Global Standards) originated as the BRC Food Technical Standard in 1998. Created by UK retailers to standardise supplier auditing. Now managed by BRCGS and recognised globally. FSSC 22000 was developed by the Foundation Food Safety Certification and is widely recognised by the food industry. Both are benchmarked by GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative).
1998
BRC Food Standard first issued
GFSI
Both standards GFSI-benchmarked
FSSC 22000
Foundation Food Safety Certification
Required by most UK and European grocery retailersBRCGS and FSSC 22000 are the two dominant global food safety standardsBoth go beyond ISO 22000 in scope and audit rigour
What’s on this page
01 —What it isUnderstanding BRCGS / FSSC 22000
The two global food safety standards that UK and European buyers specify — beyond ISO 22000.
BRCGS Food Safety and FSSC 22000 are the two dominant global food safety standards required by major grocery retailers, FMCG companies, and food service chains worldwide. Both are benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) — a consumer goods industry initiative that sets the bar for food safety standard recognition.
BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 is owned by the British Retail Consortium. It is required by most major UK supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose) and many European and global grocery buyers. Sites are graded A, B, C, or D at audit. Unannounced audits are available (and encouraged by buyers).
FSSC 22000 v6 is ISO 22000:2018 + the relevant sector-specific ISO/TS (e.g. ISO/TS 22002-1 for food manufacturing) + FSSC's own additional requirements. Widely required by multinational food manufacturers and food service companies.
Always confirm which standard your buyer specifically requires. BRCGS and FSSC 22000 are not interchangeable — some buyers require one specifically. Some accept either. Confirm before engaging a CB.
👥 Illustrative case — details changed for confidentiality
The business
Biscuit and snack manufacturer Rajkot · 110 employees, exporting to UK and Middle East
The trigger
Their UK importer issued a 6-month notice requiring BRCGS Food Safety certification. Without it, they would lose the listing.
The challenge
A pre-assessment audit found their allergen management was the biggest gap. Allergen-containing ingredients were being stored and handled without formal written procedures. Labels were checked at despatch — but not verified against the product formulation at the point of packing.
Where Clicarity came in
They deployed Clicarity for production job tracking. Each job captured allergen status at ingredient receipt (dropdown: allergen / non-allergen) and allergen label verification at packing (confirmed by named operator). When a batch split into retail and foodservice packs, each was tracked through its own label verification step. Their BRCGS consultant confirmed that the Clicarity records provided the operational evidence for allergen control — one of the highest-risk audit areas.
The result
BRCGS Food Safety Grade A certification achieved. UK listing retained.
The allergen records in Clicarity were the evidence that turned a major finding into a minor one in the pre-assessment. Grade A in the actual audit.
02 —Who needs itIs it right for you?
Do you actually need it? Honest answer.
✓ You need it
Food manufacturers exporting to UK, Europe, or global FMCG buyers
Businesses supplying to multinational food service chains
Suppliers whose buyers have specifically asked for BRCGS or FSSC 22000
∼ Check buyer requirements
Food manufacturers supplying to large domestic retail chains (some now specify BRCGS or FSSC)
Co-manufacturers for branded food companies
— ISO 22000 or HACCP may be sufficient
Businesses where buyers have not specifically asked for BRCGS or FSSC 22000
Domestic-only supply chains — verify with your specific buyer
03 —What it requiresWhat is checked
What BRCGS and FSSC 22000 require — beyond ISO 22000.
1
Senior management commitment and food safety culture
BRCGS Issue 9 strengthened food safety culture requirements. Senior management must demonstrate visible commitment — not just sign the policy.
E.g. MD attends food safety review meetings. Food safety performance visible on management dashboards.Most common gap: Policy signed but management not visibly engaged. Auditors interview senior managers on food safety priorities.
2
Hazard and risk analysis — HACCP and PRPs
Full HACCP plan for CCPs. Operational PRPs (OPRPs) for risks that don't meet CCP criteria. PRP documentation and implementation records.
E.g. Allergen cross-contact managed through OPRP with documented procedure and monitoring records.
3
Allergen management — two-point verification
For BRCGS: allergen management is a fundamental requirement. Allergen status verified at every point where cross-contact risk exists: intake, storage, processing, and labelling.
E.g. Allergen label verified against approved formulation at point of packing by a named person. Record kept.Most common finding in BRCGS audits: Allergen label check done at despatch but not at packing. Two-point verification required.
4
Traceability — 4-hour trace test
Ability to trace any finished product batch forward to customers and backward to raw materials within 4 hours. BRCGS conducts a live traceability exercise during every audit.
E.g. Auditor names a despatch batch. You must produce: ingredient lot numbers, supplier details, production records, customer delivery records — within 4 hours.
5
Product release and non-conforming product management
Formal procedure for releasing finished products to market. Non-conforming products quarantined and managed with documented disposition.
E.g. Every batch formally released by an authorised person. Non-conforming stock quarantined with a tag. Disposition documented.
6
Supplier approval and monitoring
Approved supplier list with risk-based review frequency. Higher-risk suppliers audited more frequently or with more rigorous approval requirements.
E.g. Critical ingredient suppliers assessed annually. Assessment includes questionnaire, audit, and COA review.
7
Unannounced audit compliance (BRCGS)
BRCGS allows buyers to request unannounced audit option. Factory must always be in a state of audit-readiness — procedures followed every day, not just when the auditor is expected.
E.g. Factory operating to standard procedures on a day when no audit is scheduled.
What inspectors really check
BRCGS auditors conduct a live 4-hour traceability exercise at every audit — name a batch, trace it. They also test allergen controls by observation and records. "Show me the allergen verification record for this batch at packing" is a standard request. Failure on allergen records is a major nonconformance.
Gap analysis checklist — tick what you already have
HACCP plan and CCP monitoring records current and complete
Daily records for every batch.
All PRPs and OPRPs documented and records maintained
PRP implementation verified by records and observation.
Allergen management procedure written with two-point verification
At intake and at packing. Named person for each check.
Traceability system tested — 4-hour trace exercise completed
Both forward and backward. Documented.
Approved supplier list maintained with risk-based review
Annual review for critical suppliers.
Product release procedure in place with authorised persons named
Every batch formally released.
Non-conforming product procedure with quarantine and disposition records
Tagged, documented, and disposed correctly.
Senior management visibly engaged in food safety review
MD or director on food safety record.
0 of 8 complete
04 —Official bodyWho certifies in India
Who issues this in India — and how to verify it.
BRCGS: Certified by BRCGS-approved CBs. In India, BRCGS maintains a list of approved CBs at brcgs.com.
FSSC 22000: Certified by FSSC-licensed CBs. In India, licensed CBs are on the FSSC website. Both must also be NABCB-accredited for their scope.
Verify both BRCGS/FSSC approval AND NABCB accreditation. Your CB must be both BRCGS-approved (or FSSC-licensed) AND NABCB-accredited. Confirm both before engaging.
More rigorous than ISO 22000 alone. Confirm buyer requirement.
Cost
Get 3 quotes
Contact BRCGS-approved and FSSC-licensed CBs separately.
Allergen management is the most common reason BRCGS audits result in major nonconformances. Get this right before anything else — it is the single area most likely to determine your grade.
06 —Find certified companiesHow to verify
How to find and verify certified organisations.
BRCGS certified sites are published in the BRCGS directory. FSSC 22000 certified organisations are on the FSSC website. Both can be searched by company name and country.
How to verify: To confirm whether any organisation holds a current BRCGS / FSSC 22000 certification, use the official register. Verify the issuing CB's accreditation at nabcb.qci.org.in.
Test your allergen management today — trace one allergen-containing product through your entire process
Find every point where cross-contact is possible. Is there a documented control at each point? Is it being recorded? This exercise will show you your BRCGS readiness faster than any gap analysis document.
2
Run a 4-hour traceability exercise — today, not in preparation for the audit
Pick a batch that was despatched last week. Trace it forward to the customer and backward to every ingredient lot. Time yourself. If you can't do it in 4 hours, fix the gaps now.
3
Confirm with your buyer whether they require BRCGS, FSSC 22000, or ISO 22000
Before engaging a CB, confirm the exact standard and version. Contact both a BRCGS-approved CB and a FSSC-licensed CB for a pre-assessment quote.
Good records are the foundation. A process tracker builds them automatically.
Clicarity — Live Job Process Tracker & Bottleneck Identifier
Clicarity doesn't implement your BRCGS food safety system. It tracks your production batches — and when allergen controls, CCP monitoring, and label verification are mapped to stages, the evidence builds as part of daily work.
BRCGS Food Safety requires evidence at batch level: that CCPs were monitored, that allergen controls were applied at every handling point, and that every finished product was checked before despatch. In Clicarity, every batch is a job with stages configured for your production process. Allergen status captured at ingredient receipt. CCP monitoring (metal detection, pasteurisation) captured at the relevant stage with test results and operator name. When a batch splits into retail and foodservice packs, each format is tracked through its own label verification independently. When they rejoin at despatch, the complete allergen and CCP record of every format is preserved.
Allergen status confirmed at ingredient receipt via dropdown — first allergen control point captured as part of goods-in stage.
Metal detection CCP stage: test piece result, quantity passed, quantity rejected, operator name — CCP monitoring record built during production.
When a batch splits into pack formats, each format completes its own label verification and allergen check independently before rejoining at despatch.
Clicarity shows batch-level traceability — ingredient lot numbers at receipt, operator at each stage, despatch records — the forward and backward trace BRCGS requires for every batch.
📄 Job tracked in Clicarity
#WO-4490 — Bakery product — export batch 2,000 units
Job created
✎Product name
✎Customer / export market
#Qty ordered
📅Despatch date
▼BRC site category
→
Ingredient receipt & verification
▼Supplier
✎Batch / lot no.
▼Approved supplier list
▼Allergen status confirmed
📷COA received
→
Weighing & mixing
#Batch qty (kg)
▼Recipe ref.
▼Operator
▼Allergen check done
#Actual yield vs recipe (%)
→
Baking
#Oven temp (°C)
#Bake time (min)
▼Operator
▼First-off approved
▼Core temp reached
▼ Job splits — each component tracked independently
#WO-4490-A
Retail pack — 1,200 units
▼Operator
#Qty packed
▼Allergen label checked
#WO-4490-B
Foodservice pack — 800 units
▼Operator
#Qty packed
▼Label checked
▲
Components rejoin as #WO-4490 — complete record of every branch, every data point, every sign-off preserved.
CCP
Metal detection ⚠ CCP
✎Detector sensitivity set
▼Test piece passed
#Qty passed
#Qty rejected
▼Operator
→
Final QC & label check
▼QC analyst
#Sample size
▼Pass / Fail
▼Allergen label verified
📷Photo
→
Cold storage & despatch
#Qty despatched
📅Best before date
✎Pallet no.
📅Despatch date
▼Customer sign-off
Wastage tracked:▰ Allergen status confirmed at ingredient receipt and at packing — two-point allergen control▰ Metal detection CCP: test piece passed before and after production run▰ Each pack format (retail / foodservice) tracked independently through label verification
ⓘ Fields and stage names are fully customisable. This illustrates a typical bakery / BRC Food Safety export production setup.
👥 Illustrative case — details changed for confidentiality
The business
Biscuit and snack manufacturer Rajkot · 110 employees, exporting to UK and Middle East
The trigger
Their UK importer issued a 6-month notice requiring BRCGS Food Safety certification. Without it, they would lose the listing.
The challenge
A pre-assessment audit found their allergen management was the biggest gap. Allergen-containing ingredients were being stored and handled without formal written procedures. Labels were checked at despatch — but not verified against the product formulation at the point of packing.
Where Clicarity came in
They deployed Clicarity for production job tracking. Each job captured allergen status at ingredient receipt (dropdown: allergen / non-allergen) and allergen label verification at packing (confirmed by named operator). When a batch split into retail and foodservice packs, each was tracked through its own label verification step. Their BRCGS consultant confirmed that the Clicarity records provided the operational evidence for allergen control — one of the highest-risk audit areas.
The result
BRCGS Food Safety Grade A certification achieved. UK listing retained.
The allergen records in Clicarity were the evidence that turned a major finding into a minor one in the pre-assessment. Grade A in the actual audit.
Clicarity is a process tracking tool. It does not provide certification, consulting, or audit services.