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f910 Guidance On Completion of Food I9 Audit Report v1 16122022
f910 Guidance On Completion of Food I9 Audit Report v1 16122022
Document Scope: This document covers the mandatory requirements on how to complete the
audit report for the Global Standard Food Safety, Issue 9. The areas covered include the format
and functionality of the audit report and detail on what shall be provided for compulsory sections
within the audit report. The audit report is one of the key outputs from the audit process and it is
used to provide information for the site, specifiers, and retailers.
Change log:
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Contents Page
4. Site standards 25
5. Product control 30
6. Process control 32
7. Personnel 33
Additional Modules
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1. Audit Report – Sections
BRCGS has a set format for the reporting of audits to ensure that consistent information is
provided to make it easier for users of reports to find information within the report.
The audit report must be submitted to BRCGS in the detail and format explained within this
document.
The BRCGS audit report has three main sections:
i. Audit Summary
• Confirming company audited, the scope, outcome of the audit and details about how it
was undertaken. This shall always be completed in English.
• Certification bodies (CBs) shall download the latest available template for the audit report
from MyBRCGS in the My committees, Certification Bodies section and ensure that auditors
are using the most up-to-date version during the report technical review process.
• The only changes permitted to the audit report template are the certification body (CB)
logo (in jpeg format) and CB address details which should be added as appropriate. No
other changes are permitted to the audit report template.
• The report must be provided as a Microsoft Word document.
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4. DROPDOWN TAGS – Users must select one of the pre-entered values in the drop-down
selection. Content shall not be overwritten, moved, or otherwise distorted.
5. TABLES – New tables shall not be added or inserted. The Directory cannot upload them, and
their contents would be distorted. Additional rows can be inserted to existing tables by the
user, but no additional columns can be added, or changes made to header content.
Several free text and table column fields will accept content in any format during document
population, but content validation rules will identify and prohibit upload of data which does not
adhere to predefined format rules:
• Dates – must adhere to the international YYYY-MM-DD format in Sections 1 and 2.
• Site codes and auditor numbers – numeric values only - no text or punctuation.
• Emails – valid and complete email addresses only - no additional text or punctuation.
• Audit duration day values – numeric values only - no text or punctuation.
• Non-conformity numbers – numeric values only - no text or punctuation.
• Non-conformity clause reference numbers – must adhere exactly to the clause numbers
detailed in the Standard with no additional text or punctuation.
• Embedded tables must not be used – copied and pasted from another document, for
example.
• XML tags must never be amended, duplicated, deleted, or re-located.
A core function of BRCGS Directory is the audit template upload function. This process takes data
from a completed audit report and instantly transfers that data to the system. During the
automated data extraction process, the database looks for several specific areas in the Word
document which are then mapped to corresponding areas of the database (i.e. XML tags).
There are numerous control points on upload – primarily tailored around the content of the report
relative to the requirements of the Standard. These include:
• grade vs number and severity of non-conformities
• grade vs audit programme
• date validity relative to each other
• audit programme and audit outcome
• re-audit due date vs audit start date
• re-audit due date vs certificate expiry date
Thereafter all documents are checked for completeness (i.e. content in mandatory fields)
including document version, and auditor competencies vs scope. Rejected audits will be
confirmed on upload, including either a reject message or a warning message (which will alert
the CB to unexpected values in the document).
Where a warning message is displayed, the CB will now be asked to confirm twice if they wish to
proceed and continue to submit the audit report containing potentially non-compliant data.
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During the upload, the BRCGS Directory looks for two key control points:
• BRCGS Site Code: If the site code (5-8 digits) in the audit template does not match that of
the selected site, the upload will be prevented. This ensures that only appropriate audits
are linked to a site’s record.
• BRCGS Auditor Number: At the final stage of the upload, the database will compare the
audit scope with the registered competencies of the auditor(s). The auditors’ number is 5
digits in length and the auditor(s) profile must be pre-created, validated by BRCGS and
contain the correct product categories in the database prior to the audit being carried
out and upload of the final audit report. Any discrepancy between auditor(s) registered
categories and the audit scope categories will result in the audit report to be stored in the
‘Audit Holding Area’ for investigation by BRCGS. These are manually checked daily and if
the auditor or audit team/technical experts are clearly identified to cover the audit
scope and audit categories the report will be released.
The Directory creates audit report PDFs at the time of user export, not the point of initial import. This
ensures report content reflects the most recent dataset contained in the source record.
The footer within the Word template should be completed by the certification body. However, it
should be noted that although the footer will match the appearance of the Word template, the
values are auto-populated as follows:
• Certification body name and address – populates from CB listing on the Directory
• Auditor – populates from the name associated with the auditor number
• Audit report number - the unique reference number assigned by the CB for that particular report
as populated in the ‘Document Control’ table.
The PDF will be populated with the CB logo in the header where it is held on file by BRCGS in jpeg
format.
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Section 1 – Audit Summary
1. Audit Summary
The name the company is
Company Site code Unique site code provided by
known by and will usually be
name the ‘audit owner’ (i.e. will have MANDATORY BRCGS located in the ‘sites’
FREE TEXT TAG control of the audit report TEXT listing within the ‘Directory’ tab.
details on the Directory and be If a site code does not exist, a
MANDATORY
able to allocate which retailers new record is created where the
TEXT and customers can view its site code is generated by the
audit details). The Company
BRCGS Directory. The site code
may be a single site or maybe
a company group. will be unique to that location
and will be used for all
The company name in the field subsequent audits of that site
of the audit report is collected irrespective of the certification
for reference only. During body carrying out the audit.
Directory audit submission,
ownership of a report is by
default assigned to the
company nominated as the
site owner in the site record.
Site name This should be any distinguishing name of a site within a company group, or the
UNTAGGED location with a single site.
Scope of audit The scope shall be clear, succinct and unambiguous and not include brand
FREE TEXT TAG names or provide a long list of products.
MANDATORY For further information on the requirements for the scope of the audit, please
TEXT refer to Appendix 1.
Exclusions from This must not be left blank. If there are no exclusions, record ‘None’.
scope For further information on acceptable exclusions, please refer to Appendix 1.
FREE TEXT TAG
MANDATORY
TEXT
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Justification for Justification for exclusion must be given for any exclusions from scope and
exclusion must comply with the rules of the Standard. If no exclusions, write ‘non-
FREE TEXT TAG applicable’
MANDATORY
TEXT
Audit start Choose first date of audit Audit finish Choose last date of audit
date Where the audit is a date Where the audit is a blended
DROPDOWN blended audit, the start DROPDOWN audit, the finish date shall
TAG date shall specify the first TAG specify the last day of the
MANDATORY day of the first part of the MANDATORY second part of the audit.
TEXT audit. TEXT
Re-audit due Choose re-audit due date, if Head office Choose Yes or No
date the site is certificated. DROPDOWN Select yes, if a separate head
DROPDOWN Probably completed by TAG office audit is part of the
TAG certification body on issue MANDATORY certification or if this site is also
MANDATORY of report and certificate. TEXT the head office
TEXT
Shall be calculated from the Select no, if no head office
first day of the initial audit. audit.
Select all the Select result - Include any information on Clear wording to
additional modules ‘Passed’ or additional module scope describe what is
that have been ‘Failed’, or leave or products included as excluded from the
included within this blank part of the audit, or leave scope of the module, or
audit, or leave blank if no additional leave blank if no
blank. modules additional modules
2. Audit Results
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2. Audit Results (Cont’d)
Previous Select relevant audit grade. Previous audit Select last date of previous
audit grade Leave blank if first audit, date audit.
DROPDOWN (MANDATORY TEXT, if DROPDOWN Leave blank if first audit,
TAG reaudit of the same site TAG (MANDATORY TEXT, if reaudit of
code and Standard). the same site code and
Standard).
3. Company Details
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Country Country where the Site telephone Main telephone number of the
UNTAGGED audit took place. number company, including the country
FREE TEXT TAG dialling code
Enter in the following format:
MANDATORY TEXT
+44(0)116 2345678
4. Company Profile
Plant size Select the No. of Select the No. HACCP Select the range
(metres range that employees range that plans that represents
squared) encompasses DROPDOWN includes full- DROPDOWN the number of
DROPDOWN all storage, TAG time TAG HACCP plans –
TAG (including equivalent (Each HACCP
external MANDATORY employees MANDATORY plan should
MANDATORY storage), TEXT per main shift TEXT represent a
TEXT processing plus agency group of
and ancillary /seasonal products with
areas) workers. similar hazards
(Actual sizes (Details of and similar
including shifts and manufacturing
total size of total technology)
site, fallow employee
areas and numbers to
areas outside be reported
scope of in the
certification Company
must be description)
reported in
the
Company
description)
Shift pattern Record usual shift pattern operated per day, hours of operation
and number of operating days per week. For example, “Two
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FREE TEXT TAG shifts per day production plus one shift for cleaning, five days a
week.”
MANDATORY TEXT
Seasonal opening times Select ‘start date’, if the Select ‘end date’ of the season,
(Start/end date) company is a seasonal site. if the company is a seasonal
Leave blank, if not a seasonal site. (It is unlikely that the exact
DROPDOWN TAG end date will be known at the
site.
time of the audit, therefore this
value will be a best estimate, for
example, based on previous
seasons).
Leave blank, if not a seasonal
site.
Other certificates held Confirm other relevant food safety certificates held by the site.
FREE TEXT TAG Where there are no other certificates, record ‘Not Applicable’
(The status of raw material or finished products with claims
MANDATORY TEXT should be verified in the Traceability/Mass-balance test).
Outsourced process If the site has outsourced processes (i.e. ‘Yes’ selected in the box
description above) then a summary of the outsourced process must be
provided and the requirements of section 3.5.4 of the Standard
satisfied.
Leave blank, if the company does not outsource a process or
step in the manufacture of the product to another company or
site.
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4. Company Profile (Cont’d)
Regions exported to Select global regions actively exported to, from the list.
DROPDOWN TAG
MANDATORY TEXT
Major changes since last Outline the relevant major changes regarding company,
BRCGS audit product, process or personnel changes (e.g. capital
FREE TEXT TAG expenditure, structural or significant personnel changes, new
products or processes).
MANDATORY TEXT
If no changes, record ‘No changes’
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5. Product Characteristics
Product categories Select all finished product categories that apply, 01 to 18, and
DROPDOWN TAG additional modules, where applicable
MANDATORY TEXT
Finished product safety Summary of the characteristics that make the products safe to
rationale consume.
FREE TEXT TAG Detail the specific factors such as Aw, pH, presence of
MANDATORY TEXT preservatives, heat treatment, storage and packing conditions
that make the final product safe. Refer to F909 BRCGS guideline
on Product Safety Rationale for guidance on information that
should be included.
Where there are more than one type of product, they should be
listed with their safety rationales.
Justification for area • Summary of the reasons for the production risk zones. (Refer to
FREE TEXT TAG Appendix 2 of the Standard).
MANDATORY TEXT • Justification should include the three areas above, and for
open / enclosed / low-risk product areas. For example, a
scope that includes ‘cooked meats’ appropriate to category
8 would generally be expected to have a high-risk area
because:
o the product has received a full cook
o is susceptible to pathogenic growth
o is ready to eat
However this may not be the case if the products are ‘cooked in
pack’ and therefore there is no high-risk area on site.
Allergens handled on site Select all allergens handled on site, up to the maximum permitted
DROPDOWN TAG by the dropdown menu.
MANDATORY TEXT If no allergens are present, select ‘None’ from the dropdown
menu. Where allergens are not listed (these may be region
specific), select ‘Other’ from the dropdown menu.
Allergen name, description and details on the control of allergens
shall be indicated in section 5.3 of the report.
Product claims made (e.g. List claims made, including origin, breed/variety, product
IP, organic) characteristic (organic, non-GMO), absence or presence (free-
FREE TEXT TAG from), etc.
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Details of the claims are recorded in sections 5.3 (allergen claims)
or 5.4 (all other claims) of the report.
Products in production at Indicate the type of products and packaging types observed in
the time of the audit production during the production area visits, but not brand names.
FREE TEXT TAG
MANDATORY TEXT
Total audit In the tagged box, specify Duration of In the tagged box, specify
duration the total time (in whole production the total time (in whole
FREE TEXT TAG hours) spent on the BRCGS facility hours) spent in the
audit and any additional inspection production and storage
MANDATORY modules at the site. areas.
TEXT FREE TEXT TAG
The text ‘man hours’ is MANDATORY The text ‘man hours’ is
outside the tagged box. TEXT outside the tagged box.
Include the total time Please note this shall be
spent at all audited specified in working hours.
locations as part of this Adjustments shall be made
audit (e.g. If the audit was when performed by an
carried out in conjunction audit team.
with another audit, a For further details on the
calculation shall be made requirements refer to the
to specify the time spent Audit Duration Calculator.
on BRCGS only).
The total time shall not
include time spent on
writing the report and
significant time for lunch
breaks.
Please note this shall be
specified in working hours.
Adjustments shall be made
when performed by an
audit team.
For further details on the
requirements refer to the
Audit Duration Calculator.
Reasons for Where there is any deviation from the expected audit duration, as defined in
deviation from the Audit Duration Calculator, reasons must be provided.
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typical or Specify here if the audit was carried out in combination with another audit –
expected audit this may lead to the audit duration per day not matching the total specified
duration above.
FREE TEXT TAG
MANDATORY
TEXT
Combined Select the combined audit undertaken from the list where the BRCGS audit is
audits undertaken in conjunction with another scheme.
DROPDOWN TAG If no combined audit was undertaken, select ‘None’.
MANDATORY
Where a combined audit, was undertaken with a Standard not listed this shall
TEXT
be marked as ‘Other’. Details of the combined audits undertaken must be
indicated in the Company description section of the report.
Next audit type Select the next audit option – Announced, Unannounced – Voluntary,
selected Remote, Blended Announced or Unannounced – mandatory 1 in 3 years.
DROPDOWN TAG The site has up to three months from the date of the audit to opt into a
MANDATORY voluntary unannounced audit, this should be completed with the information
TEXT known at the time of certification.
Where the next audit is identified by the ceritification body as being
unannounced to comply with GFSI ‘1 in 3’ requirements, this shall be
recorded as ‘Unannounced – mandatory 1 in 3 years’.
Present at audit
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MANDATORY MANDATORY MANDATORY MANDATORY MANDATORY MANDATORY
TEXT TEXT TEXT TEXT TEXT TEXT
The audit report shall contain a summary of recent GFSI-benchmarked post farm gate food
safety audits to demonstrate that the compliance with one in three audits unannounced has
been met. There is no requirement to list audits against Standards that are not GFSI
benchmarked.
Additional rows may be inserted ensuring that functionality (i.e. text fields) is included.
Audits that occurred before 1st February 2020 do not need to be listed.
Audits that are older than three calendar years should be deleted from the list.
Enter date Record GFSI audit Record either Announced, Enter either ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’
as yyyy- Standard, e.g., BRCGS Blended Announced or
mm-dd Food Safety, Issue 8 Unannounced
Leave If first audit, record Leave blank if first audit
blank if first ‘First GFSI Audit’
audit
Document control
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Section 2 – Non-Conformity Summary Sheet
Non-Conformity Summary Sheet
How to complete the Non-Conformity Summary Sheet (Critical, Major, Minor, Additional Modules).
• Where a head office audit has been undertaken, non-conformities raised must be closed out and recorded in this Non-
Conformity Summary Sheet for the first site. Thereafter, they do not contribute to the final audit grade of subsequently audited
sites unless they have not been adequately actioned and closed out. Those that do not count towards the grade must be
recorded separately in the Additional Modules/Head Office Non-Conformity Summary Sheet.
• For each Additional Module, non-conformities shall be recorded in the Additional Modules/Head Office Non-Conformity
Summary Sheet.
Clause • The non-conformity shall be classified against one clause only, highlighting the main issue identified.
FREE TEXT TAG • Clause numbers shall be recorded in the exact format as they are listed in the Standard with no additional text
or punctuation. Any other format will cause upload to fail.
• Within each classification of non-conformity, they shall be listed in order of requirement numbers.
Detail • The detail of the non-conformity shall be specific and unambiguous, and actions taken by the site can be
FREE TEXT TAG specifically identified as correcting the issue.
Correction • This shall contain a short description of the corrective action taken by the site, confirming that it has been
FREE TEXT TAG completed prior to the BRCGS certificate being issued.
Proposed • This shall contain a short description on what action the site propose to undertake to ensure that the non-
preventive conformity does not re-occur. This action may need more than 28 days after the audit date to complete and
action plan therefore the proposed action plan may be accepted and its implementation reviewed at the next audit. At
the next audit, a non-conformity against clause 1.1.12 may be appropriate if the proposed action or root cause
FREE TEXT TAG
has not been completed to prevent recurrence of the original non-conformity.
Root cause • This shall contain a short description of the root cause of the issue identified by the company. For further
analysis guidance, refer to BRCGS Guideline on Preventive Action and Root Cause Analysis.
FREE TEXT TAG
Date reviewed • The date of final sign off of the corrective action shall be specified and this must be in the correct format YYYY-
FREE TEXT TAG MM-DD.
Critical
Clause Detail Re-audit date
Major
Clause Detail Correction Proposed preventive Root cause analysis Date Reviewed by
action plan reviewed
Minor
Clause Detail Correction Proposed preventive Root cause analysis Date Reviewed by
action plan reviewed
Comments on non-conformities
Comments on non-conformities
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Additional Modules/Head Office Non-Conformity Summary Sheet
Non-Conformity Summary Sheets
How to complete the Non-Conformity Summary Sheets (Critical, Major, Minor, Additional Modules).
Critical
Clause Detail Re-audit date
Major
Clause Detail Correction Proposed preventive Root cause Date Reviewed by
action plan analysis reviewed
Minor
Clause Detail Correction Proposed preventive Root cause Date Reviewed by
action plan analysis reviewed
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Audit team
Lead auditor
Audit team
• The detailed section of the audit report shall highlight the minimum key information, listed in
this document, to demonstrate fulfilment of the requirements. Auditors are expected to
include these key details within the text of the report.
• The text of the audit report must clearly and concisely record that the auditor has
considered and effectively challenged all requirements, and provides evidence of the level
of compliance of the company.
• The audit report contains a summary box for each section of the Standard. It is not necessary
to record a comment against every requirement of the Standard, but each summary box
must capture sufficient specific information to explain the controls in place to satisfy each of
the Statements of Intent.
• The audit report will include reference to the objective evidence that the auditor has
reviewed to demonstrate the level of compliance with requirements. It should not include
significant levels of detail, such as all test results being recorded, but where relevant, shall
provide some detail of objective evidence observed, including titles, reference numbers,
version and/or issue dates.
• The summary box should not contain actual names of staff but can include positions (e.g.
team leader, hygiene operative, etc).
• All sections of the audit report must be completed unless justified as a non-applicable
requirement.
• Where a section is not relevant to a particular audit, ‘non-applicable’ must be recorded in
the section and a basic justification given in the non-applicable clauses box at end of the
section. If there are no non-applicable clauses, record ‘None’ in this box.
• It is accepted that many aspects will not change year on year, such as HACCP, fabrication,
pest management details, and transferring data from the previous audit report is considered
acceptable, providing that the content is checked, updated and new and sufficient
objective evidence is presented to demonstrate the requirement has been audited and the
site continues to meet the requirements of the Standard.
• Where requirements have been audited as part of a head office function then this should
be clearly stated. Details of how the site interacts with the head office needs to be clear in
the report.
• Non-conformities where identified, shall be identified in the relevant sections of the Detailed
Section of the audit report with the clause number and summary details.
• BRCGS expects auditor notes, in addition to the final audit report, to be available. BRCGS
provide ‘checklists’ that may be used by auditors to capture audit notes during the audit.
These are optional in their use as internal documents, and they do not need to be provided
to BRCGS or users of the scheme, unless otherwise requested.
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1. Senior management commitment
Outcome The reader should understand the level of commitment of the organisation to
the production of safe, legal and quality products and its product safety and
quality culture.
The report will clearly indicate the level of commitment from management to
ensure provision of safe and legal food of the expected quality.
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Details of non-applicable clauses with justification
Clause/Section Justification
Ref
It is generally expected that sites will meet all requirements in section 1. Any
genuine justification for non-applicability must be recorded in this section.
Outcome The reader will have confidence in the HACCP identification process at the
company and will be aware of the company’s food safety assessment, the controls,
monitoring systems and ongoing effectiveness of the implementation.
The report should clearly indicate that the auditor has used their knowledge to
confirm that the HACCP development and implementation process is suitably robust,
appropriately detailed, implemented and reflects the operation in place, complies
with Codex Alimentarius principles and is appropriate for the industry sector.
HACCP Team
o State how team competence is demonstrated
Scope of HACCP
o Outline description for each product or group of products
o Confirm the scope accurately reflects all products on site
Process flow diagram
o Record key process steps / operations to manufacture products within the scope of
certification
o Record date and reason of last verification
o Confirm the flow diagram accurately reflects the production processes.
Hazard analysis
o Hazard analysis and risk assessment – confirm it is based on comprehensive information
sources and the severity vs likelihood of occurrence of hazards are considered
o Outline hazards considered specific to each process step
Critical Control Points, limits and controls
o List CCPs / PRPs as appropriate
o Outline the control measures for CCPs / PRPs
o Outline the measurable critical limits for monitoring each CCP
o State how often CCP’s are monitored
o Provide examples of corrective actions in event of failure of a CCP or PRP
Validation, verification and review
o Explain how and when the company validated and verified the HACCP or Food Safety Plan,
including the critical limits, control measures and PRPs specific for controlling food safety
hazards.
o Frequency of planned HACCP review – date of last review, who completed it and the
reason it was completed
Clause/Section Justification
Ref
It is generally expected that sites will meet all requirements in section 2. Any
genuine justification for non-applicability must be recorded in this section.
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3. Food safety and quality management system
Outcome The reader will have confidence in the systems and procedures in place at the site to
ensure that products are manufactured consistently in line with customer
expectations and that support processes are in place.
The report should clearly indicate that the auditor has used their knowledge to
confirm that the quality management system is suitably robust, and capable of being
operational at all times.
3.1 Food safety and quality manual, 3.2 Document control, 3.3 Record completion and
maintenance
o Summary of the internal audit programme, covering the requirements for assessment in
clause 3.4.1 and the site’s food safety and quality management system.
o Confirm the frequency of audits, and how this has been determined based on risk
o Define the auditors and their competence/training/independence from the audited activity
o Explain how audits are reported including whether objective evidence of compliance and
non-compliance are recorded, how the site ensure’s that corrective actions are
appropriately actioned (section 3.7 of the Standard details requirements for corrective
actions), and defining responsibility and timescale for completion
o Give details of at least two of the internal audit reports reviewed during the BRCGS audit
o Confirm that a separate programme of internal inspections of factory environment and
processing equipment is undertaken, explaining the audit reporting, corrective actions and
verification and review process Give an example with details of date and outcome of an
inspection reviewed
3.5 Supplier and raw material approval and performance monitoring
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o Where raw materials are purchased from an agent, broker or wholesaler, confirm if the
identity of the last manufacturer, packer or considatior of the material is known and, where
required, how the traceability system is verified.
o Comment on supplier approval procedure in place for handling exceptions and where
information is not available.
3.5.2 Raw material and packaging acceptance, monitoring and management procedures
o Confirm whether any process steps are outsourced to a third-party or undertaken at another
site
o List outsourced activities or processes
o Confirm service specifications are present for outsourced processing activities
o Outline how the specific requirements for handling, processing, traceability are maintained
o Comment on the inspection and testing procedure for outsourced activities or processes
3.6 Specifications
o Confirm specifications are available for raw materials (including primary packaging) and
finished products and the format they are kept in (e.g. printed, electronic or online
specification system)
o Confirm specifications include limits for relevant attributes (e.g. relevant chemical,
microbiological, physical and allergens standards)
o Frequency of review of specifications
o List some examples of specifications for raw material, intermediate products (for example
outsourced, processed material) and finished products viewed
3.7 Corrective and preventive action
o Outline the corrective action, preventative action and root cause analysis procedure,
confirming suitability and effectiveness
o List some examples reviewed and verify root cause, corrective action and preventive action
is effective and meets requirements detailed in section 3.7
3.8 Control of non-conforming product
o Outline non-conforming product handling procedure and recording system, confirming how
product returned to the site is managed
o Example of a non-conforming product incident, or confirm ‘none’
3.9 Traceability
o Outline how traceability is maintained through the process and where applicable the legal
requirements in the country of sale or intended use.
o Explain the traceability marking on products
o Give details of vertical audit undertaken during BRCGS audit, including product (i.e. raw
materials and finished product), printed packaging and labels, date of production/packing,
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quantities reconciled, and key documentation reviewed including process control and
quality control documentation.
o Summarise the results of the traceability and vertical audit
3.10 Complaint handling
o Identify any significant trends in complaints and where necessary, has the company taken
corrective action
o Indicate highest complaint type and identified cause
3.11 Management of incidents, product withdrawal and product recalls
o Confirm procedure and that it is adequate for the type of business and in sufficient detail.
o Where any incidents have occurred in the certificated period, were these notified to the
certification body as required in clause 3.11.4?
o Date and completeness of last test
Clause/Section Justification
Ref
4 Site Standards
Outcome The reader will have a good visual impression of the facility including the building
and equipment, as well as a clear understanding of the systems in place at the site
to prevent hazards through prerequisites and critical controls.
The auditor will demonstrate their knowledge of industry standards by commenting
on the state of the facility and appropriateness.
o Outline the location of the facility and type of nearby industries or surroundings (e.g. rivers,
train lines)
o Comment on condition of external grounds – traffic routes and planted areas
o Give details of any external storage and control measures to prevent contamination
o Summarise the types of site security used, for example, CCTV; use of security gates; security
staff, but no need to give the actual locations or numbers of any control measures, as these
are often confidential
o Provide detail of access control for employees, contractors and visitors to ensure that
unauthorised access is not permitted
o Explain the security systems for external storage, including external tanks or intake pipes
4.2 Food defence
o Confirm the individuals or team completing threat assessments and food defence plans
have the appropriate knowledge
o Where there is a legal requirement for training, confirm how staff are trained
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o Comment on the suitability of the food defence plan and where applicable its requirements
to meet the legal requirements in the country of sale or intended use and on any
improvements since the last audit
o List some examples of threats considered and associated control measures
o Describe the layout of the site, include segregation, production risk zones and areas where
time segregation is used. It is not easy to describe in words the layout of the plant; however,
it needs to be relatively clear how the site is set out and allow the reader to get a visual
picture of the layout of the site.
o Confirm how contractors and visitors, including drivers are informed of the requirements for
the areas they are visiting
o Detail any modernisation works and any temporary structures that may affect product
safety or be a potential pest risk
4.4 Building fabric, raw material handling, preparation, processing, packing and storage areas
o Summarise the standard of construction and condition of the facility, including where
present any elevated walkways, access steps or mezzanine floors that are adjacent or
above open product.
o Brief description of materials of fabrication of walls, floors, drainage (ceilings, overhead
structures, doors, lighting and windows, etc.
o Comment on condition and suitablity of plastic strip curtains, where present.
4.5 Utilities – water, ice, air and other gases
o Brief description of key production and product-handling equipment and the suitability of
design and construction for food use
o Comment on purchase specifications for any new equipment, outlining suitability to meet
the site’s requirements
o Where appropriate give information of compliance of the design, and construction of
equipment to prevent product contamination. For equipment that is in direct contact with
food detail how the site ensures suitability for food contact and meets any specific
legislation/certification
o Describe the risk-based commissioning procedure for new equipment
o Comment on the procedure for moving static equipment detailing potential risks to food
safety are prevented and equipment integrity maintained
o Comment on the storage of equipment that is not in use (e.g. equipment not regularly used
or taken out of service)
o Where mobile equipment and battery-charging equipment is in use, explain how potential
risk to the product is prevented
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4.7 Maintenance
o Describe the provision and location of the changing facilities, toilets and handwashing
facilities confirming they are adequate and in appropriate condition for the facility
o If catering facilities are present, outline how these are controlled to prevent potential
microbiological and allergen contamination hazards (e.g. use of allergenic ingredients or the
introduction of new allergens to the site)
4.9 Chemical and physical product contamination control: raw material handling, preparation,
processing, packing and storage areas
o Outline the control of non-food chemicals to prevent potential chemical contamination risks,
including approved purchase processes, suitability for the intended application, designated
storage (e.g. separate from chemicals used as raw materials in product), chemical spillage
controls, and chemical waste disposal procedure.
o Describe the type and control of sharp metal equipment (knives, blades, needles etc.)
present including frequency of inspection
o Explain the monitoring of glass, brittle plastic and ceramic items including the frequency of
inspection
o Indicate whether any glass or brittle item breakages have occurred in the certificated
period and whether handled according to procedure
o Describe how windows are protected, where present
4.9.5 Wood
o Describe examples of wood present in the open product areas, and how its condition is
monitored, or indicate that no wood was present
o Where wood is used for food contact purposes, comment on its suitability for food use
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4.9.6 Other physical contaminants
o Describe how the company determined filter/sieve aperture size and the controls in place
o Describe if foreign body detection and rejection equipment is present, alternative measures
are in place or on the basis of the risk assessment none is required
o Outline the control measures to verify correct operation of equipment and confirm suitability
of the test procedure
o Outline actions taken in the event of detection of foreign-body contamination and the date
of the last record of detection
o Highlight whether the equipment was tested during the audit
4.10.4 Magnets
o Indicate, if present, the reason for magnet installation and their location
o Confirm the control of magnets undertaken, where used for food safety purposes
o Indicate, if present, the reason for optical sorting equipment installation and its location
o Confirm the control of optical sorting equipment undertaken, where used for final product
testing
4.10.6 Container cleanliness – glass jars, cans and other rigid containers
o Confirm how the site minimises potential risks of contamination in pre-formed rigid containers,
where appropriate
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o Outline the observed standards of housekeeping and hygiene and level of resource during
the BRCGS audit. Include details of any specific cleaning operations seen
o Confirm suitability of cleaning methods
o Confirm who is responsible for cleaning (e.g., in-house / contractor), how this is completed
and frequency,
o Outline how cleaning is monitored (e.g. audits; ATP, microbiological testing or allergen
testing with details of acceptable limits where applicable), record completion and sign-off
o Outline how waste is handled to minimise potential risk of product contamination and re-
introduction into the food chain
o Explain how waste is removed from open product areas, detailing how potential risk to the
product safety is controlled.
4.13 Management of surplus food and products for animal feed
o Details of external pest contract (i.e. pest covered, frequency of visits) or undertaken in-
house and auditors review of its suitability
o Detail of evidence to support competence of internal pest controller where this is
undertaken
o Confirm absence or presence of any infestation during the last certificated period or
evidence observed during the BRCGS audit and how it was identified and treated
o Confirm how the frequency and content of routine inspection and expert assessment is
determined, whether this is suitable and actions are completed
4.15 Storage facilities
o Brief outline of control measures taken by the company to prevent hazards associated with
storage of raw materials, intermediate products and finished goods at the site, including
conditions (eg temperature conrol) and type of storage – racking, internal, external, silos, off-
site etc.
o Outline segregation controls, if necessary
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4.16 Dispatch and transport
o Outline control measures taken by the company to prevent hazards associated with
dispatch and transport of raw materials and finished goods to and from the site (eg
temperature checks and hygiene monitoring controls)
o Where contractors are used, confirm the suitability of the supplier approval procedure to
meet the requirements in section 4.16 or are certificated to Global Standard Storage and
Distribution
Clause/Section Justification
Ref
5 Product control
Outcome The reader will understand the processes and controls in place to ensure the
production of safe, legal, authentic, quality and consistent finished product,
compliant with expected specification as appropriate.
The auditor will demonstrate their knowledge of industry standards by commenting
on the robustness and suitability of the control systems audited.
o Explain the procedure for development of new products and changes to exisiting product,
packaging and manufacturing processes, outlining the controls in place to reduce the
potential to introduce hazards
o Confirm how the HACCP team are involved in development processes
o Explain how documented and agreed specific customer requirements are included in
these processes
o Indicate which situations would result in a production scale trial and how shelf life is
validated
5.2 Product labelling
o Explain the processes to ensure label information meets legislation in countries of sale
o Outline the procedure for artwork approval and sign-off including the procedure to verify
ingredient and allergen information is accurate
o Where applicable, include details of the cooking instruction validation procedures – use of
an example viewed during the audit will be useful providing it does not compromise
confidentiality
5.3 Management of allergens
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o Where there are specific geographical legislative requirements for raw materials, the
country of production and/ or the destination country then these should be made clear
o Where re-work is used, comment on the procedure for allergen containing re-work
o Detail of any claims for individuals with a food allergy or food sensitivity (sometimes refered
to as ‘food hyper-sensitivity) and associated testing to verify the claim
o Detail clean down practices before/after allergens and the controls/records in place to
verify this. Give details of any validation and verification processes in place such as testing
including frequencies and methods
o Comment on the assessment of the allergen management process where a changeover
has been seen
o Confirm the individuals or team completing vulnerability assessments have the appropriate
knowledge
o Confirm vulnerability assessment covers all the mandatory requirements in the section 5.4
o List some examples of raw materials and risk assessment level and mitigating controls
o Confirm the review process for the vulnerability assessment plan and the date of the last
review
o Where claims are made, confirm the processes used to substantiate and validate the
claims, including where appropriate, any legal and certification requirements
o Outline control measures to ensure packaging materials and processes for the purchase of
product packaging are suitable for the application, in particular suitability for food contact
o Outline of the testing programme, including how product samples are obtained and
handled
o Confirm the types of test and frequency
o Summarise test result outcomes / trends and actions taken (e.g action on any out of
specification results or adverse trends)
o Indicate how laboratory test results are reported, approved and, where necessary, acted
on
o Detail the most recent shelf-life validation
o Confirm process and frequency of shelf life testing verification and the shelf-life testing
undertaken, outling the most recent shelf life verification
o Where there are onsite laboratory facilities, outline the control procedures to prevent
product contamination
o Outline how critical testing is undertaken and how confidence in results is achieved
o Outline and comment on suitability of procedures in place to ensure realiability of laboratory
results
o Detail an example of out of specification result and action taken
5.7 Product release
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5.8 Pet food and animal feed
o Indicate the animal species that the products are produced for, and where appropriate
how cross-animal species contamination that could cause harm is prevented
o Detail of how medicinal substances are controlled and monitored where appropriate
o Comment on the site’s processes to meet the legal requirements in the country of sale or
intended use
5.9 Animal primary conversion
Clause/Section Justification
Ref
6 Process control
Outcome The reader will appreciate the controls in place to ensure the production of
consistently safe, legal, products, to the appropriate quality.
The auditor will demonstrate their knowledge of industry standards by commenting
on the legality, robustness and suitability of the control systems present.
o This section should include details of site specific process controls that relate to controls not
already covered in this report
o Confirm documented procedures and work instructions are in place that ensure consistent
product is produced and packed
o Detail how process settings are documented and monitored
o Where appropriate, confirm how key food safety processes are validated and date of last
verification
o Comment on the site controls to prevent risks to products within the audit scope from
materials that are outside the scope of the audit (e.g. by-products from production
processes)
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6.2 Labelling and pack control
o Describe how the company allocates codes, monitors and verifies finished product labelling,
and reconciles label use
o Detail of a product, labelling or printed packaging changeover viewed during the audit, or
if this was not seen, a valid reason why not
o Describe how lines are cleared and checked in preparation for a change of products (i.e.
during a product changeover)
o Where online verification systems are present, provided detail and confirm how the
effectiveness is monitored
6.3 Quantity – Weight, volume and number control
o Provide some examples of calibrated equipment, where present, and indicate frequency of
calibration and actions taken when a device is outside specified limits
o Outline any trends of calibration outcomes demonstrating reliability of equipment
7 Personnel
Outcome The reader will understand the controls in place at the company to ensure that staff
and workers are clearly aware of their responsibilities and that the company takes
effective precautions to minimise potential associated hazards.
The auditor will demonstrate their knowledge of industry standards by commenting
on the robustness and suitability of the personnel systems audited.
7.1 Training: raw material handling, preparation, processing, packing and storage areas
o Confirm how the site manages training of staff, including temporary staff /agency-supplied
staff
o Comment on the level of competence demonstrated through staff interviews during the
audit for example, for activities relating to control measures and critical control points
o Method of ongoing review of training and competency
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7.2 Personal hygiene: raw materials handling, preparation, processing, packing and storage
areas
o Outline the observed level of compliance with the personal hygiene requirements
o Detail and confirm handwash facilities are available at the entrance to the production
areas
7.3 Medical screening
o Where there is a legal requirement for staff, temporary employees, contractors or visitors to
be subjected to medical screening, indicate how this is maintained
7.4 Protective clothing: staff or visitors to production areas
o Describe the protective clothing provided to and worn by staff (including temporary
employees), contractors or visitors.
o Indicate the method of cleaning of protective clothing, (i.e., through in-house or approved
laundry) and frequency of change
o If home laundering is permitted, confirm that this protective clothing is only worn in a low-risk
area or enclosed product area, and is worn to protect the employee from the products
handled
Clause/Section Justification
Ref
This section may include some requirements that are not applicable to the
company. These non-applicable clauses must be highlighted with the reason
for the exclusion.
If no non-applicable clauses, record ‘None’.
Outcome The reader will understand the extra precautions and controls in place to maintain
the elevated standard expected for parts of a facility where food safety is at the
highest level.
The auditor will demonstrate their knowledge of industry standards by commenting
on the robustness and suitability of any documented risk assessment and the control
systems audited.
8.1 Layout, product flow and segregation in high-risk, high-care and ambient high-care zones
o Outline the layout of the facility indicating the location of the pathogen control step(s)
o Describe the level of segregation between low-risk / enclosed product areas and high-
risk/high-care/ambient high-care areas
8.2 Building fabric in high-risk and high-care zones
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8.3 Equipment and maintenance in high-risk and high-care zones
o Summarise the control measures that prevent potential contamination risks in the areas from
engineering activities and portable equipment
8.4 Staff facilities for high-risk and high-care zones
o Describe the layout of the designated changing facility and practices observed including
dedicated distictive clothing for the area, hand washing provision and footwear controls
8.5 Housekeeping and hygiene in the high-risk and high-care zones
o Outline control measures to ensure the high-risk and high-care areas are maintained to a
high standard of hygiene and house keeping
o Where cleaning-in-place equipment is used, describe the control measures used to minimise
the risk of contamination
8.6 Waste/Waste disposal in high-risk and high-care zones
Clause/Section Justification
Ref
Outcome Where traded products are included within the scope of the certification, the report
will give the reader confidence in the site’s controls to ensure that products not
manufactured, processed or packed at the site, but stored at the site, meet
expectations and control measures are in place to ensure that aspects associated
with safety, legality and quality are effectively implemented and monitored.
The auditor will demonstrate their knowledge of industry standards by commenting
on the robustness and suitability of the controls in place and the effectiveness of
systems.
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9.1 The food safety plan - HACCP
o Confirm the company has a HACCP or food safety plan for the traded products (either as a
separate plan or combined with the documents developed in section 2)
o Outline the scope for traded product accurately reflects all products and processes
o Confirm supplier approval procedure encompasses traded products suppliers and covers
the mandatory requirements in the Standard
o Summarise the initial and ongoing approval process – list some examples of suppliers
9.3 Specifications
o Confirm checks are carried out on receipt to ensure products are safe, legal and in line with
specifications according to a risk-assessed sampling and testing regime
o List examples reviewed during audit
9.5 Product legality
o Describe the documented process for verifying legality of labelling, composition etc.
o Indicate the countries where the traded products are to be sold and whether they comply
with legislation in those countries
9.6 Traceability
This section may as a whole be non-applicable if traded products are not handled by the
company or have been excluded from the scope.
It is not necessary to record reason for non-applicable clauses if this section is not audited or
traded products are excluded from the scope.
Additonal modules
Outcome Where additional modules are included within the scope of the certification, the
report will give the reader confidence in the controls to ensure that products
manufactured by the company meet expectations and product safety,
authencity, legality and quality controls are effectively implemented and
monitored.
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Where requirements are considered exempt/non-applicable, the reason why
must be reported in the audit report. The auditor must be satisfied that the
reasons given by the company for exemption/non-applicable are appropriate
and not warranting of a non-conformity.
Scope The scope shall be clear, succinct and unambiguous and not include brand
names or provide a long list of products.
For further information on scope of audit requirements, please refer to the
requirements in additional module 11, meat supply chain assurance.
11.1 Traceability
o Confirm a supply chain map exisits for meat raw materials, and contains the relevant
information
o Where there are specific provenance claims made (e.g. breed, origin, method of rearing)
outline how traceability is maintained to ensure the integrity of the product claims
o Confirm bi-annual test of traceability is performed and record date of last test including
summary of effectiveness
o Provide details on the annual mass-balance traceability tests carried out and include
summary of effectiveness
o Summarise the meat supply chain risk assessment process and comment on the
completeness and suitabllity of the risk assessment (outline any supply chains that are
subject to the protocol for phased introduction of clause 11.2.1 and 11.2.2)
o Outline supplier approval procedure for suppliers that handle open or incompletely
packaged product and agents and brokers that handle fully enclosed products.
o List examples of suppliers (full names of suppliers not required, initials would be acceptable)
with method of assessment reviewed during the BRCGS audit
o Confirm the frequency of ongoing approval of suppliers
o Comment on how exceptions to the supplier approval process are handled
o Outline the acceptance procedure to ensure the integrity of packaging and label
information
o Confirm the list of meat-based raw materials, is complete and specifies the meat species
contained.
o Comment on the suitability of the risk assessment and the documented controls to minimise
the risk of cross-contamination and their effectiveness
o Outline the controls used for cleaning equipment and comment on the effectiveness of the
cleaning procedures, validation and verification checks to mininise the risk of cross-
contamination
o Where re-work is in use, outline how the risk of cross-contamination is minimised and any
specific customer requirements implemented
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o Comment on the effectiveness of the new product development procedure to control the
introduction of new species of meat or restrict the scope of new product development,
including the HACCP approval process for changes to products and processes
o Comment on the raw material and finished product testing programme and its suitability
o Explain how limits for legal and customer requirements are defined including procedures for
handling out-of-specification results
11.6 Training
o Confirm how the site manages training of staff, including temporary staff /agency-supplied
staff and contractors
Preventive Controls for Human Food: 21 CFR Part 117 (Clauses 13.1.1-13.1.33)
o For sites regulated by 21 CFR Part 117 provide a brief overview of the control measures and
procedures in place, commenting on its suitability to meet the requirements
Preventive Controls for Animal Food: 21 CFR Part 507 (Clause 13.2.1)
o For sites regulated by 21 CFR Part 507 briefly summarise the control measures and
procedures in place, commenting on its suitability to meet requirements
o Provide a brief overview on each of the control measures and procedures in place including
a summary of the effectiveness of the food defence plan
o Summarise the control measures and procedures, commenting on their suitability to meet
requirements
o For sites regulated by 21 CFR Part 112 provide a brief overview of the control measures and
procedures in place, including a summary of their effectiveness
14.1 Traceability
o Confirm the traceability system was tested at least twice a year and included both
traceability for raw material/ingredients and primary packaging, commenting on the results
and effectiveness of the tests
o Confirm traceability tests completed within a 2 hours
o Provide a summary of the finished goods traceability exercise completed during the audit,
commenting on its effectiveness
o Comment on the completeness and suitability of the environmental sampling monitoring for
sites which are either:
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o Subject to the “Finished Goods Microbial Test and Hold Programme” (for example, high-
risk, ready-to-eat foods)
o With production and storage facilities, which use water in the production of fresh and
frozen produce
o Confirm that specification sheets exist for all high-risk and Kirkland signature products where
pathogens are listed in the specification.
o Confirm a documented “microbiological test and hold programme” exisits, where required,
it meets the relevant requirements and includes all of the relevant pathogens
o Confirm a documented procedure exists for the handling and the usage of gloves, where
required
o Comment on observed glove handling practices
o Confirm verification processes and it is followed by the site
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Appendix 1- Scope of audit
Scope of audit
Scopes shall be clear, succinct and unambiguous. Scopes must not include brand names,
and must not include a long list of products or processes. The scope shall be stated in English
within the text fields. The scope should contain:
• A brief description of key elements of the process
• Product types
• Relevant packaging and product characteristics
• Where relevant, information on traded products and outsourced processes
Each of these is explained in detail below:
Describe the key process
There should be a general outline of the main process - not detail of every step. Just use one
or two words of detail so that the typical process characteristics can be understood. The key
process are those most likely to affect food safety.
Example processes are (not an exhaustive list):
aseptic filling, baking, battering, blending, breading, brewing, canning, coating, cooking,
curing, cutting, dicing, distillation, drying, extrusion, fermentation, filtering, freeze drying,
freezing, frying, grading, hot filling, irradiation, marinating, microfiltration, milling, mixing,
pasteurisation, pickling, portioning, refining, ripening, roasting, slaughtering, slicing, smoking,
sorting, steaming, sterilisation, washing, waxing
Use of general terms such as ‘manufacture’, ‘production’, ‘preparation’, or ‘processing’
should only be used with care, and where the resultant products are clear.
Storage should only be used where a separate storage facility, not at the address of the
certificated site, is included within scope (refer to the audit protocol).
e.g. Packing of washed carrots and storage at the Rabbit Road, Harefordshire facility.
Procurement, intake, receipt, storage, product design and development, handling, dispatch,
transport are not required. Sales, marketing, growing, distribution and delivery are NOT
permitted because these are outside the scope of the Standard.
EXAMPLES
X ‘Processing of mango and mandarin’ is not acceptable as it is unclear what the ‘process’
is.
✓ Acceptable example: ‘Pasteurisation of mango slices and mandarins segments and
aseptic filling into glass packaging’
✓ Acceptable example: ‘Sorting, grading and packing of mangoes and mandarins’
X ‘Primary production of red and white wines from grape and base wine intake, malolactic
fermentation, cold stabilization, blending, storage, filtration to final approved tanks.
Secondary processing as carbonation, filling, capping, corking, labelling and packing of red,
white and sparkling wines in glass bottles’ is not acceptable as it contains too much detail on
each process.
✓ Acceptable example: ‘Fermentation of grapes and base wines, carbonation and packing
into glass bottles of red and white wines’
Product Types
The products included within the scope must be clear on the certificate. However, it is not
appropriate to list every individual product. Instead products should be ‘grouped’ using
clearly defined, recognisable and internationally understandable product types. General
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terms such as ‘dairy’ or ‘meat’ should include clarification of the types of product e.g. dairy
products such as yogurts, cream, ice cream, soft cheese, milk etc; or red meat including
pork, beef and game (pheasant and rabbit).
EXAMPLES
X Cutting of meat is not acceptable as the type of meat is unclear
✓ Acceptable example: Cutting of red meat (beef and pork)
X Manufacture of Pistachio with shell, raw whole pistachio, chopped and sliced pistachios,
pistachio croquant, pistachio drageex, roasted pistachio paste. This is not acceptable due to
the long product list – it is not necessary to list every product. It is also helpful to avoid terms
that do not have a well-known meaning (e.g. croquant and drageex).
✓ Acceptable example: Manufacture (e.g. chopping, slicing, roasting) and packing of
pistachio nut products.
Product claims
Claims such as ‘free from’, ‘specific allergen claims’ or ‘vegetarian’ must not be used in
scope wording. This includes claims supported by other certification schemes (e.g. organic,
halal). As general guidance products should be described as what they are made of, not
what they are not e.g. ‘vegetable based’ is accetable, ‘without meat’ is not.
Where products are known by a ‘common name’ e.g. ‘extra virgin olive oil’ or ‘Cheddar
cheese’ these shall not be considered ‘claims’ for the purposes of scope wording (i.e. they
can be included within the scope).
Packaging and product characteristics
Scope wording should only include packaging types (e.g. ‘glass’, plastic bottle, pouch, bag
in box, cans, drum) where it adds clarifying detail to the products, processes or product
safety. Do not list every type of packaging used.
Specific details such as ‘modified atmosphere’, vacuum packing, frozen, chilled should be
included as these provide clarity regarding product safety.
Traded products
Where traded products are included within the scope of the audit, the scope shall describe
the products traded as ‘the trading of …….’ using the guidance on product types as above.
Outsourced processing
Where there is an outsourced production process (i.e. a process that must comply with the
requirements of section 3.5.4) this must be described in the scope, for example ‘including
outsourced …….. [define process] on ……… [define products]’
Exclusions from scope should not be left blank. If there are no exclusions write ‘none’.
Justification for exclusion must be given for any exclusions from scope and must fit the rules of
the Standard:
• The excluded products can be clearly differentiated from products within scope
AND
• The products are produced in a physically segregated area of the factory
Exclusions shall be agreed with the certification body in advance of the audit. The
certification of products must audit the entire process from raw material to end-product
dispatch. It is not possible to exclude either parts of the process undertaken at the site or parts
of the Standard.
Note the BRCGS logo can only be used by sites that have no exclusions.
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The traded products section is now included in the main Standard (section 9). Sites may
choose to include or exclude traded products within their audit. If a site trades products not
manufactured at the site, but does not want this to be included within the scope, then this
must be listed as an exclusion from scope. Sites that have excluded traded products may still
use the BRCGS logo.
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