BRC 5 full product description

Hi,
BRC issue5, 2.2.3; is it enough just referring the products' specifications or not? If not how can I start, we have more than 300 different products and many ingredients...bakery, confectionary..
Thanks

As requirement of Clause 2.22 A full description of the product shall be developed, which includes all relevant

information on food safety. You can include following information in Product descriptions:



1. Composition.

2. Origin of ingredients

3. supplier information

4. product specification

5. Physical / Chemical properties

6. storage and production parameters

7. Process – assembly and packing

8. Packaging system – bowl, fork

9. Storage and distribution conditions – target <5°C, max <8°C

10. Target shelf life – sandwich 1-4days, salads 7 days

11. Instructions for use – convenience

12. Potential misuse considered – chill storage labelled

13. Allergen advice – advice on packs





I hope it is helpful.



Martin Blue

Dear csaba,

Not a bakery person but i think yr problem is a common one and has been discussed here already (somewhere). I anticipate that a grouping is possible (somehow). Presumably you do have product specifications for all yr (grouped?) products including safety aspects, eg micro.

Note that 2.2.3 includes the words "may" and "safety". I think BRC are here still primarily following the Codex HACCP methodology.
Suggest you have a look at a typical (Codex-type) HACCP plan with respect to the product description stage. The expectations tend IMO to be not that terrifying in practice (unlike other parts of BRC).

Any more bakery people here ?

Rgds / Charles.C

If you have several processes then you will have several HACCP plans as I am assuming a generic plan would not work??

Include the main groups in each of the plans as opposed to in the HACCP procedure. You will need to do this to a point anyway for allergen controls. I used to have something like: " Wheat Flour, Processing aids, Processed vegetable fats, Dairy products, Egg, Dried fruits, preserves, Yeast, colours and flavours, fondants. Without listing the 12 different preserves or 8 types of veg fat.

Hi,
BRC issue5, 2.2.3; is it enough just referring the products' specifications or not? If not how can I start, we have more than 300 different products and many ingredients...bakery, confectionary..

2.2.3: A full description of the product shall be developed, which includes all relevant information on food safety. As a guide, this may include the following, although this is not an exhaustive list:
• composition (e.g. raw materials, ingredients, recipe)
• origin of ingredients
• physical or chemical properties that impact food safety (e.g. pH, aw)
• treatment and processing (e.g. heating, freezing, salting)
• packaging system (e.g. modified atmosphere, vacuum)
• storage and distribution conditions (e.g. chilled, ambient)
• target safe shelf life under prescribed storage and usage conditions
• instructions for use (e.g. storage, preparation)
consideration of potential misuse (e.g. storage, preparation).

I think BRC are here still primarily following the Codex HACCP methodology.

BRC is indeed following the Codex. This means that this product description is an input for establishing your HACCP-plan. It is not practically to review 300 specifications for establishing a HACCP-plan. There fore you should make descriptions per product group.

I anticipate that a grouping is possible (somehow). Presumably you do have product specifications for all yr (grouped?) products including safety aspects, eg micro.

I do not have any experience in bakery but I can imagine that groups might be: bread, cakes, cream cakes, meat pies, cookies, etc. Look at the differences in the processes and in the raw materials/ingredients. A chocolate cookie might be the same as a fruit cookie, where a fruit cake might be totally different from a chocolate cheese cake (I just guess, maybe I wrong, but you will get the picture) You will probably not have more than 10 product groups. These groups you describe in general, indicating the mentioned issues. (froozen cake is a different product then fresh cake, due to packaging, shelf life and storage conditions). In these general descriptions per group you can refer to the detailed specifications. The general group descriptions can be used to determine hazards and to establish HACCP-plans.

You also need the detailed specifications per product, as is required by customers and legal requirements.

BRC is indeed following the Codex. This means that this product description is an input for establishing your HACCP-plan. It is not practically to review 300 specifications for establishing a HACCP-plan. There fore you should make descriptions per product group.

I do not have any experience in bakery but I can imagine that groups might be: bread, cakes, cream cakes, meat pies, cookies, etc. Look at the differences in the processes and in the raw materials/ingredients. A chocolate cookie might be the same as a fruit cookie, where a fruit cake might be totally different from a chocolate cheese cake (I just guess, maybe I wrong, but you will get the picture) You will probably not have more than 10 product groups. These groups you describe in general, indicating the mentioned issues. (froozen cake is a different product then fresh cake, due to packaging, shelf life and storage conditions). In these general descriptions per group you can refer to the detailed specifications. The general group descriptions can be used to determine hazards and to establish HACCP-plans.

You also need the detailed specifications per product, as is required by customers and legal requirements.

Hi, all,

I also am not familiar with bakery etc. But just like Madam A. D-tor said, the product description is one step(input) in codex HACCP recommendations. Once you know all information including properties of RM, PM, ingredients, the treatment method, parameters, shelflife, preparation instruction, storage conditions and transport. Based on such information and other information(e.g. intended use of product, flow diagram), you could start your Hazard analysis,CCP setting, Cl setting etc.

Since all HACCP activities need to be recorded, product information should be kept in your HACCP study documentation.

About the product group concept. at the time I joined this forum I also asked the help from other experts (including Charles. C, Madam A. D-tor Thank you so much!) Now I have two principles to judge if products can be incorporated into one group:

1, Are hazard present in the raw materials for respective products same?
2, Are processes for manufacturing respective products same?

If so, they can be in one group in my opinion. If not I think respective HACCP Plans for each product are necessary.

Just my five cents opinion,

Best regards,

Jason

Just my five cents opinion,

I would give more then 5 cents, Jason.

Hi everyone,

I have a spesific question on one of the items; origin of ingredients.
What exactly standard asks us to do? Like, I am producing cocoa powder and I say it's origin is Ghana. Is that it?

In my current company we are producing Carbonated Beverages and our ingredients are water, sugar and concentrate.
Hence, detailed formulation of concentrate is confidential. In this case how may I meet this requirement?
I can write "sugar is produced here and concentrate is coming from there, etc." Do you think that'd be enough?

Thanks,
Murat