When you’re a U.K. company, your packaging does matter. Every company wants to score the vaulted A.A. rating from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which assures packaging suppliers are compliant with the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).
The BRC certification is a food safety standard demonstrating a company’s commitment to industry best practices.
A high BRC rating ensures the highest quality and safety measures were taken in the creation and selling of food-related products.
Companies who care about their customers go the extra mile and obtain the certification, because it shows they strive to meet and exceed expectations for food safety packaging needs.
What Does a Company Have to do to Score the A.A. Rating?
To get a certification, your company will undergo third-party audits highlighting the requirements of an accredited certification body (C.B.). The certificate is ideal for food manufacturers, raw material suppliers, and packaging facilities.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is a GFSI-benchmarked scheme popular throughout Europe, with some U.S.-based food and beverage companies also holding certificates. While 65% of registered sites are European, 11% are in the U.S., making it a standard food safety benchmark for North American processors and manufacturers.
The basic breakdown of the BRC’s components is in nine sections:
- Senior management commitment
- Food safety plan (HACCP)
- Food safety and quality management system
- Site standards
- Product control
- Process control
- Personnel
- High-risk, high-care, and ambient high-care production risk zones
- Requirements for traded products
What’s Involved in a BRC Audit?
The point of the BRC audit is to ensure the highest standards are met regarding food safety. During the audit, an auditor from an accredited C.B. will assess manufacturing facilities, looking at records, documentation, and process documentation.
One of the big reasons people want a high BRC rating is that it’s a stamp of credibility. The rating showcases diligence and commitment to the highest food safety standards, quality, and continuous improvement.
Some of the Things the BRC is Looking for Include:
- Senior managers continuously seek to improve processes and well-trained employees who follow stringent protocol standards.
- HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) adherence is a systematic approach to identifying, evaluating, and controlling food safety hazards.
- Detailed documentation showing effective processes and management activities.
- A safe and clean working environment is also dedicated to allergen management, product testing, and quality promotion against contamination.
BRC Food Packaging in the UK
One of the things we’re excited to mention is that the ePac facility in Silvertone has worked very hard to maintain this level of quality when it comes to flexible packaging that hits the mark and works within practical safety standards.
We’re proud that our efforts to ensure maintaining a well-respected workplace have gone off to earn these kinds of ratings. ePac is dedicated to making sure we’re a part of solutions for a better tomorrow, and that’s not only when it comes to things like biodegradable or recyclable packaging, but how we work as a company across the board.
If you’ve been looking for a partner to take your packaging to the next level that’s easy to use and cost-effective, we’d love to talk and show you how going digital is the smart move, no matter what country or rating.
