The Global Standard for Food Safety was born in 1998 under the British Retail Consortium (BRC), an association bringing together most major British retail chains.
This standard was developed to help British retail chains selling branded products guarantee food safety. It is now implemented in over 130 countries and recognized by the majority of major international retailers.
Since the first edition of the BRC Global Standard – Food in 1998, the standard has been revised several times. Issue 9, published in August 2022, is the currently applicable version; it has been mandatory for all audits since 1 February 2023. A public consultation for Issue 10 closed in February 2026: we are monitoring its progress and will update this page once it is published.
The Global Standard for Food Safety specifies the safety, quality and performance criteria that any company involved in manufacturing food products must meet to fulfil its legal obligations and protect consumer health. This standard does not apply to products that have not undergone any processing at the audited site, nor to wholesale, import, or logistics activities.
BRCGS audits are carried out by our partner Sygma Certification, S.L. (Spain), accredited by the Spanish national accreditation body ENAC (accreditation No. 47/C-PR080) for food sector product certification. Sygma Certification Maroc handles local coordination of your file.
Why get BRCGS certified
- Export market access: an entry requirement for many British and European retailers, often a condition for listing your products.
- Risk control: a documented system based on the 7 HACCP principles of the Codex Alimentarius, structuring your food safety and quality management.
- Continuous improvement: an audit framework that drives your organization to progress from one certification cycle to the next.
Structure
The BRCGS standard is divided into sections with an associated audit protocol. Each section specifies the requirements to be met for certification under this scheme, identifying requirements considered « fundamental » to guarantee product safety, integrity and quality.
Broadly, the standard’s central concept is the implementation of:
- management commitment
- a HACCP system based on the 7 principles of the Codex Alimentarius
- procedures ensuring an adequate level of infrastructure, equipment, maintenance and site hygiene
- a foreign body contamination management system
- allergen management
- purchasing and supplier evaluation
- staff training
- Compliance with all these requirements is controlled and managed through a quality system driving a continuous improvement loop.
The certification journey
- Quote request and scope analysis with Sygma Certification Maroc
- Audit scheduling with a qualified BRCGS auditor
- On-site audit (documentary and field)
- Certification decision by Sygma Certification, S.L. (ENAC) and annual surveillance
Useful links
- Official site: BRCGS Global Standards
- BRCGS Participate — access to normative documents
- BRCGS Directory — search for certified sites