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The British Retail Consortium is a UK trade organisation that represents the interests of the UK retailers. Part of their functions is to monitor existing and new legislation and lobby government representatives on issues that affect their members. |
The BRC is directly involved in important issues affecting retailing and the consumer, including:
Food safety
Working practices / Employment legislation
Crime
The environment
European legislation
E-commerce
The transition from sterling to the euro, if and when it happens
The choice and value British consumers have on the high street.
Along with the major UK retailers the BRC has published the, ‘BRC – Global Food Standard,’ in order to set a minimum standard of hygiene in food manufacturing plants. It was devised, firstly, in reaction to the many food scares that have occurred in recent times such as BSE infected beef, salmonella contamination of poultry and eggs, high levels of listeria in diary products and foot and mouth in the cattle and sheep sectors. The BRC – Global Food Standard is designed for any supplier, regardless of product or country of origin, that supplies food product to the UK retailers. Compliance to this scheme is not a legal requirement but it has been highly recommended by the UK retailers. To comply with the standard the food industry (supplier) must adopt three main criteria in their management system:
HACCP
QMS
Control of factory environment standards, product, process and personnel (Good Manufacturing Practices, GMP).
Companies seeking certification to the BRC – Global Food Standard can realise the following benefits:
Compliance to the retailer recommendation
UK retailer acceptance of food safety performance
Reduce number of supplier inspections
Improved product safety / quality
A significant part of a due diligence defense
Improved operating efficiency and competitive market appeal
Bureau Veritas Certification can immediately provide a tailor-made proposal for BRC – Global Food Standard certification that meets your needs. BRC – Global Food Standard can be combined with any management system certification e.g. ISO 9001:2000, HACCP or any food product certification e.g. EurepGAP for growers with their own packing plants. Thanks to its extensive network Bureau Veritas Certification can deliver HACCP and related services on a world-wide scale (140 countries) always maintaining the same level of quality.
