The Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards (BRCGS) Food Safety Issue 9 was released in August 2022, with new requirements that certified manufacturers will be expected to comply with by February 1, 2023. Manufacturers must consider several key differences between BRCGS Food Safety Issues 8 and 9 when transitioning to the new standard.
Issue 9 includes the addition of a third audit option to its protocol—the blended audit. The blended audit is an announced audit that is performed both onsite and remotely. The maximum percentage of the blended audit that may be conducted remotely is 50 percent, and a BRCGS certification body will assess if an operation’s technical capabilities are sufficient to do so. Only registrations, systems, and documentation may be audited remotely.