Brc Issue 4: Understand The Storage & Distribution Issue 4 Standard

By Author: John
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To guarantee the safety of every food produced, numerous standards must be adhered to within the food business. The Global Standard for Food Safety was initially issued by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) in 1998. With more than 17,000 BRC-certified sites globally, this program was created to assist the food sector in complying with UK and EU food safety rules. It has now established itself as a benchmark for best practices in food safety, quality, and responsibility.

Buying a product from a well-known brand in a well-known retailer is no longer the main consideration when making a decision. Customers want to know what happened to the food after it left the factory: was it transported at the proper temperature? Was it kept pest-free? Did the distributor open the packages or tamper with the food before it was delivered to the store?

New worries about food safety and quality during storage and distribution throughout the supply chain are on the rise as food manufacturers and retailers focus more on food integrity, reducing damaged goods, and preventing food-borne illness. This is forcing producers and retailers ...
... to demand assurance that food safety standards are applied throughout the distribution chain.

The BRC Global Standard for Food and Distribution was initially released in 2006; the most recent edition, Issue 4, was released in November 2020 and went into necessitate in May 2021. During the storage and distribution operations, the standard includes activities that may have an impact on the food, packaging, and consumer items' safety, quality, and legality. The Standard was created especially for logistical processes including consumer goods, packaging, and food. It is simple to grasp, employs terminology that is directive, and is relevant to all applications worldwide. It is completely adaptable since operations can implement the entire scope or a scope specific to their operation, such as storage only, distribution only, or transportation alone. Anywhere along the distribution chain, from primary production to retail, the storage and/or distribution processes to which the Standard is applied are covered. In the BRC Issue 4 documentation includes comprehensive descriptions and descriptions of all the information, methods, and supply chain needed to apply the standard correctly. The eight main divisions are as follows:

• Senior Management Commitment
• Hazard and Risk Analysis
• Product Safety and Quality Management System
• Site and Building Standards
• Vehicle Operating Standards
• Facility Management
• Good Operating Practices
• Personnel

The Standard primarily applies to the storage and distribution of pre-protected packaged items. Section 9 Handling of Open Food Products, on the other hand, pertains to approved exceptions that include but are not limited to:

• open boxes and trays of fruit and vegetables
• trays of raw fish/crustaceans/other seafood
• carcasses of meat

The Global Standard for Food Safety applies to any other open food product handling and processing operations. Additional Voluntary Modules are also available:

• 10 Wholesale Module
• 11 Cross-docking Module – New in Issue 4
• 12 E-commerce Module – New in Issue 4

Modules of contracted services:

• 13 Contractual arrangements (all services)
• 14 Product inspection
• 15 Contract packing (repacking, assembly packing)
• 16 Quantity control inspection
• 17 Contract chilling/freezing/ tempering/defrosting and high-pressure process operations
• 18 Contract cleaning of baskets, roll cages, and other distribution containers
• 19 Waste recovery and recycling

The Advantages of BRCGS Storage and Distribution Certification

• Brand trust among consumers: The standard helps you protect your brand, giving customers confidence in your production programs and supply chain management.
• New commercial opportunities: Improve your ability to work with the many organizations for which BRCGS Storage and Distribution certification is a contractual obligation or expectation.
• Access to the supply chain: BRCGS Storage and Distribution is accepted and specified by many global retailers, manufacturers, ingredients companies, food service organizations, and raw material processors as part of their supplier approval process.
• Advantage over rivals: Certification against one of the leading standards in your sector sets you apart from uncertified competitors.