BRC Global Standard for Food Safety

Frequency of inspection depends on the grade awarded which is based on the number and level of non-conformities. Audits are at least every twelve months, dropping to six months if the site doesn't meet the required level of compliance. A food safety audit can help you gain your food hygiene certificate more easily.

Audit duration is based on standards specific audit duration calculators to determine how long an inspection should be. Factors such as the size and complexity of your company, the number of HACCP plans and number of people will all be taken into account but will be a minimum of one day in duration for Storage and Distribution, Agents and Brokers, with a minimum of two days for food businesses, but can be up to four days for larger, complex sites. The duration of your food safety audit may affect the time it takes to receive your food hygiene certification.

We also offer a number of BRCGS certified training days including a conversion course, Third Party Auditor (5 days), and training on Issue 9. BRCGS food certification is recognised internationally and gives customers confidence in your food safety programme. These training days can help you understand the requirements for obtaining a food hygiene certificate.

Please call and ask to speak to the relevant scheme co-ordinator. They will be able to confirm your status and may be able to raise an urgent visit. This is especially important if you need your food safety & hygiene certificate renewed urgently.

Our systems keep track of forthcoming expiration dates. The appropriate assessor for the scheme will be notified in good time, and he or she will contact you directly to try and arrange a convenient date and time for the visit. We understand the importance of maintaining a valid food health and safety certificate, so we aim to make this process as smooth as possible.

Depending on the scheme regulations, as long as you give us plenty of notice, there should
be no cancellation fee. Otherwise you may incur a penalty of at least one day's fee. Let us
know as soon as you have a problem and we will try to organise another convenient date,
but please bear in mind that your certificate may expire if the visit is not rescheduled in
good time.

This is standard practice in the certification industry. It allows assessments to be conducted
in an independent way without either party being distracted by commercial pressures.

Kiwa maintains a high degree of integrity and independence when conducting inspection
visits, and our assessors are trained and verified on a regular basis to meet the stringent
requirements of our accreditation body. Wherever possible, the assessors are rotated within
their particular area, so it is unlikely that you will meet the same person on every visit.

Under normal circumstances this should not be a problem. Kiwa Agri Food staff will
check your current status and make arrangements to post or fax a copy to you.

The assessor should have confirmed your details at the time of the visit and our reviewers
check all details on the report very carefully. If you have changed your trading name or
trading style, the company details and the scope of your operations will have to be
confirmed. Depending on the circumstances, this may require a follow-up visit. Kiwa
Agri Food staff will be happy to answer any detailed questions about certification issues.

This should not normally be a problem, as long as the images clearly show the relevant
detail. Please call our office (01423 878 878) and confirm the reviewer's email address
before you send any images. The format can be colour JPEG or BMP, and the images are
more likely to be accepted if you send a covering email (with descriptions of all the images),
then send each additional picture attached to a separate email.