12 Considerations for the BRC audits, and how to pass them

What is the BRC? 

Food standards in the UK are strict, and must meet certain criterium. The British Retail Consortium is a globally recognised food safety standard, that was established in the UK in 1998. Acquiring the BRC certification shows your clients and consumers that you are dedicated to higher food safety standards, and quality assurance. In order to become certified, you will need to complete, and pass, a BRC audit. Every step of the food growing, manufacturing, and packing can be part of the audit. BRC audits focus on procedure, policies, equipment, and buildings. The BRC has over 29,000 certified suppliers, spanning 130 different countries.  

How do I Prepare for BRC Audit? 

You need to have evidence for all measures regarding your farm operation, without thorough and complete, documentation, you won’t be able to prove you are meeting the requirements set by the BRC. In many cases, farm owners have to retroactively document everything they can, which is time consuming, and inaccurate. The best way to be prepared for a BRC audit, would be to use software that tracks everything for you. Most areas the BRC audit focuses on will be linked to your farm’s traceability. Which many buyers require in order to purchase your produce. You should perform an internal audit before applying for BRC certification, so you can make changes, to increase your chances of certification. 

BRC audit checklist 

The best way to prepare your company for the audit, is to run through the checklist beforehand. This will give you the best possible chance of getting certified. Here are some of the key areas that the BRC audit focuses on.  

A commitment to persistent improvements set by senior management  

There needs to be a clear intention and plan to create a better product, and preparation environment set by the leadership in the company. This has to be documented, with specific, detailed steps that can be tracked. These steps can be designed to improve health and safety, food safety, food quality, and legal obligations. Implemented improvements must be monitored and the results need to be gathered and reported quarterly at the very least.  

Implementation of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points 

Known as the HACCP, the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points is a system that uses risk assessment specific to food safety. The HACCP food management system is a tool used for prevention; identifying different concerns and potential food contamination.  

QMS and food safety documentation  

You need to have a quality management system in place in order to document and collate data on products. Procedures and the methodology need to be written down, and accessible; either printed or digitally. The information documented needs to be clear, concise, and understandable. Everything needs to be documented, including images and diagrams where applicable.  

Site standards 

Every building, plot, and location used in your farm’s operations need to be surveyed for different impacts. The overall finished product can be affected by various issues if the environment is not properly managed. This includes how the site standards are reducing product quality and integrity, and exposure to contamination. Site standards should be controlled in order to mitigate preventable problems.  

Security 

Your site also must have measures in place for security. Only allowing authorised personnel into certain areas, which can keep sensitive data safe, and produce from being tampered with. This includes appropriate lighting, and door maintenance.  

Utilities 

Water used in all aspects of food production has to be safe, and drinkable. The quality of the water needs to be tested annually, and documented. This is for all water sources used on site; including for washing, drinking, and irrigation. 

Maintaining the site 

The site and its machinery need to be tested, and issues raised accordingly. The site must meet the legal regulations for health and safety. This also includes, but not limited to, employee facilities. There needs to be adequate changing and storage areas, with clean running water for hygiene.  

Product control 

All product changes, and new products need to have clear guidelines for scope and restrictions. This is to control hazards that customers or the site may deem unacceptable. The products need to be approved by the HACCP team or member to make sure all controls are properly assessed. There should be adequate trialling of products, where applicable.  

How does LiveFarmer help with BRC Audits? 

Compliance 

You must document everything, and without a centralised system, the information could be lost. Automation in the farming sector is simplifying the way growers update current jobs. Having health and safety checks done directly in the app, instantly uploads the checklist. Growers no longer have to do the checks, then bring the data back to a data entry person each time. By adding this stage of accountability, you are protecting your business from potential compliance breaches.  

Traceability 

Every time data is added on a specific job or harvest, it is building a traceability document. Every step can be downloaded in one file, which can be reviewed for auditing purposes. Traceability is a requirement for BRC audits, and for supermarkets. You have to show where your crops have been, to prove there has been no contamination. The same goes for other assurance labels, such as Red Tractor, as they need to see a detailed documentation that proves the food has been, transported, produced, packed, and stored to their standards and licensing. 

Asset management 

Knowing where all your assets are, and what condition they are in, requires regular maintenance. Without easy to access documentation, some assets may not be tested and repaired properly. This could put your growers at risk.  

Employee management 

Keeping your people safe, while also keeping them efficient, requires effort. LiveFarmer farm management software creates job role profiles, so your team can only see what is relevant to them. Restricting access to areas they don’t need, and enabling them to work better.