FOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY ASSURANCE: PRIVATE FOOD SAFETY SCHEMES
Diagram
BRCGS
Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards. First published in 1998, from the British Retail Consortium. Global Standard Food Safety, Issue 9. Letter grade. Strongest with UK and European retailers and private label.
SQF
Safe Quality Food. Developed in Australia in the early 1990s, now run by the SQF Institute, part of FMI in the USA. Food Safety Code, Edition 9. Tiered levels and a numerical score. Strongest in North America.
Figure 1: BRCGS and SQF are both GFSI recognised schemes with the same goal, but they come from different retail worlds and grade audits in different ways.
Introduction
BRCGS and SQF are the two private food safety schemes most buyers ask for, and both are recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). BRCGS, Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards, grew from British retail: its Global Standard for Food Safety was first published in 1998, and it is strongest with UK and European retailers and private label. SQF, Safe Quality Food, was developed in Australia in the early 1990s and is now run by the SQF Institute in the USA, and it is strongest in North America. Both need a rigorous audit by an independent certification body, but they differ in structure, grading, and home market.
Table 1: Quick comparison of BRCGS and SQF
| Aspect | BRCGS | SQF |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards | Safe Quality Food |
| Owner | BRCGS Global Standards, UK | SQF Institute (SQFI), part of FMI, USA |
| Origin | British retail; first published in 1998 | Developed in Australia in the early 1990s |
| Current standard | Global Standard Food Safety, Issue 9 | Food Safety Code for Food Manufacturing, Edition 9 |
| Structure | One standard with fundamental and non-fundamental clauses | Tiered: Fundamentals, Food Safety, and Food Safety plus Quality |
| Scope | Food safety and quality system combined; strong in manufacturing, packaging, storage and distribution, agents and brokers | Food safety, with a separate quality code; covers primary production, manufacturing, storage and distribution, and packaging |
| Audit result | Letter grade, from AA to D | Numerical score with a rating; points are deducted for non-conformances |
| Named person | A HACCP team leader, with set competency expectations | A qualified SQF practitioner is required |
| GFSI recognition | Recognised | Recognised at the Food Safety level and above |
| Certificate validity | One year; recertification every year | One year; recertification every year |
| Unannounced audit | Mandatory once every three certification cycles | Mandatory once every three certification cycles |
| Strongest market | UK, Europe, and global private label | North America |
Scientific explanation
Definition
BRCGS is a private certification scheme owned by BRCGS Global Standards. Its Global Standard for Food Safety sets the requirements a food business must meet, with a strong focus on HACCP and on retailer needs. SQF is a private certification scheme owned by the SQF Institute. Its Food Safety Code sets the requirements in tiered levels, so a business can start at Fundamentals and move up to Food Safety and then to Food Safety plus Quality.
Working principle
BRCGS works as one standard: the auditor checks the clauses, including the fundamental clauses, and gives a letter grade. SQF works as a points system: the audit starts from a maximum score and non-conformances deduct points by severity, with minor, major, and critical grades. Both schemes are benchmarked by GFSI, which means GFSI checks that the scheme meets its shared requirements; GFSI itself does not audit factories or issue certificates. In both schemes the certificate comes from an accredited certification body, and the audit report is held in the scheme database.
Apparatus
Neither scheme is a test, so no apparatus applies. At the control points the scheme names, the instruments are the tools of the step itself, such as calibrated thermometers and metal detectors.
Measurement procedure
There is no laboratory measurement procedure for either scheme. Measurement happens at the monitoring points the business sets, and the audit checks the records, the building, the equipment, and the staff against the scheme clauses.
Factors affecting readings
The audit result changes with the same factors in both schemes: the state of the building, the strength of the HACCP plan, staff training, supplier control, and whether records match real practice. A certificate proves the system was checked on the audit days, not that every pack is safe.
Formulas and calculations
This topic has no standard formula in the books used for this article, so no worked example is given here. Do not use a made up formula for this topic.
Industrial applications
- BRCGS: suppliers to UK and European retailers, private label makers, packaging makers, and storage and distribution firms.
- SQF: food manufacturers, primary producers, storage and distribution firms, and packaging makers selling mainly in North America.
- Both: a supplier that sells to buyers on both sides of the Atlantic may hold one scheme and be asked about the other, so the choice often follows the buyer.
Advantages and limitations
BRCGS advantages: one clear standard, strong retailer acceptance in the UK and Europe, and a grade buyers read at a glance. Limitations: a single standard gives less room to start small, and its home strength is retail private label.
SQF advantages: tiered levels let a small business start at Fundamentals and grow, and it is the default ask for many North American buyers. Limitations: the points system can hide a serious gap behind a passing score, and a named practitioner must be kept on staff.
FAQ
Can I buy GFSI certification?
No. GFSI does not issue certificates. It benchmarks schemes, and you are certified to a scheme such as BRCGS or SQF.
Which one should my factory choose?
Follow the buyer: a UK or European retailer usually asks for BRCGS, while a North American buyer usually asks for SQF. If both ask, pick the one your buyers name.
How long does a certificate last?
One year for both schemes, with recertification every year and a mandatory unannounced audit once every three certification cycles.
Do the schemes change?
Yes. Both publish new editions and issues, so check the current edition before an audit.
References and further reading
- FTN subject Food Safety and Security, Unit 5: Food Safety Management Systems and Food Law, section on private standards, which names FSSC 22000 and the schemes run by the British Retail Consortium and the International Featured Standards bodies.
- Book on disk: Food Quality Assurance: Principles and Practices.
- Scheme comparison: GFSI Standards comparison table, which sets out audit stages, certificate validity, unannounced audit rules, scheme owners, and grading for SQF, BRCGS, and FSSC 22000.
- Scheme owner publications: BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety Issue 9 and SQF Food Safety Code Edition 9, as named in current scheme comparisons.
