7 replies to this topic

[V1ncenso]

Hi all,

I am preparing for our BRC audit (happening very soon ) and I'm getting confused over the wording Food Safety and Quality Manual. We have always had a Quality Manual that relates to all our company sites as part of ISO9001 and a seperate HACCP manual which contains our HACCP plan etc that specifically relates to our main BRC certified site.
Do I now need need to combine these somehow? Is it okay to have this information in different manuals for an audit or would an auditor expect to see a specifically titled Food Safety and Quality Manual?

We also have a QEHS Policy - again does this mean we must now have a Food Safety and Qaulity Policy instead?

PS. We are a whisky company and our distilleries (other sites) are not BRC certified. This only applies to our blending and bottling site.

Thanks in advance,

Vincent

[Charles.C]

Dear Vincenso,

This is a sort of GAP Analysis question I think ?
Well, basically, the auditor requires to see compliance with the BRC standard.

I presume there is no declared requirement for specific presentation style, eg combined manuals, in the standard. If not, it’s up to you. From memory, a similar query also frequently appears here from people starting ISO22000. Subsequently, some seem to combine, some not, their choice I suppose. IMO, the primary requirement is that any manual (s) involved will hv to adequately address the various paragraphs of the BRC standard with respect to the site involved (yr current manuals may well not do so [??] which may be most simply resoved through a dedicated combined version depending on yr writing skills). Normally IMEX the auditors like to find a “nice” aligned-to-the-standard documentation style but that is another aspect and, after all, you are paying them sooooo. ( eg, I hv found that most auditors seem to expect to see decision-tree CCP analyses which I do not use so questions invariably occur, although the end result is similar).

A similar answer to yr other query on QEHS (which I had to google) but surely much easier to issue an appropriate “BRC matched” policy perhaps, unless you already hv the other format stuck up all over the facility. (Assuming that you can properly demonstrate support for the "BRC, FS" policy of course.)

Some people invest in a preliminary BRC audit such that they can ask questions like this in advance, maybe even for free. (I noted yr source location ).

Any direct users of BRC v5 please comment (and amend if necessary).

Rgds / Charles.C

[Cathy]

One option may be to create a document (a.k.a. a manual) that follows the BRC standard closely, (As Charles suggested) and in this, indicate how you comply. Some sections can refer to your other materials. This document that mimics the Standard is the food safety and quality manual - and it can point to your other pre-exisiting programs so that you don't have to rewrite them.

[cazyncymru]

Hi all,

I am preparing for our BRC audit (happening very soon ) and I'm getting confused over the wording Food Safety and Quality Manual. We have always had a Quality Manual that relates to all our company sites as part of ISO9001 and a seperate HACCP manual which contains our HACCP plan etc that specifically relates to our main BRC certified site.
Do I now need need to combine these somehow? Is it okay to have this information in different manuals for an audit or would an auditor expect to see a specifically titled Food Safety and Quality Manual?

We also have a QEHS Policy - again does this mean we must now have a Food Safety and Qaulity Policy instead?

PS. We are a whisky company and our distilleries (other sites) are not BRC certified. This only applies to our blending and bottling site.

Thanks in advance,

Vincent

Hi Vincent

I have a similar set up as you do .
My Quality Manual , called the Food Safety & Quality Manual (FSQ) follows the BRC requirements. You can call it what you like as long as you put a disclaimer in there somewhere saying that your manual covers not only Quality / operations etc but also covers Food Safety.

Although may manual referes to HACCP, and cross references the HACCP plan, it mearly outlines how we will do it and references any legislation.

My HACCP plans, verifications, Validations, minutes, organogram of the HACCP team, Training Certificates etc (make sure you have the organogram, they will ask to see)

Make sure that the Manual is actually relevant for your site, or you could find yourself tied up in knots.

The other thing you can do is have an index in the front that references each of the BRC sections

Hope this helps

Caz x

[aps]

Hi

I have just gone through the BRC audit version 5 yesterday and currently i have a QA Manual and a HACCP manual seperate which was found to be ok as long as you have them.

regarding the policy I titled mine Food Safety & Quality Policy "as it states in the standard"

Hope this help!

Edited by a stoker, 13 February 2009 - 01:31 PM.

[Charles.C]

Dear a stoker,

Many thks for the input and yes, everything helps !

Rgds / Charles.C

[V1ncenso]

Thanks everyone for your help. Sometimes the wording of some of the requirements gets a bit confusing Anyway our BRC audit starts tomorrow so I will let you know how I get on.

[cazyncymru]

Please let us know how you get on

How did you do Stoker?

C x