9 replies to this topic

[Murae]

Has anyone had any specific Covid-19 questions/related queries/non-cons in reference to BRC food audit during the current pandemic?

 

 

[Marloes]

We had an IFS audit recently. They did not specifically ask about COVID. They will likely need you to prove that there were no disruptions in your process. Have there been any disruptions in (raw) materials or personell? Has there been a large change in production volume or production method? Then you should have reviewed/validated these changes. But that is not different than normal changes in your process.

 

Our local food safety authority did do a COVID specific audit. Their focuss was also to see that there were disruptions in the process causing any food safety related issue's. 

[LILDANNY50]

Hi, 

 

When we had our BRC audit - they just focused on all the standard BRC points. However, I will assume this could change with audit bodies? 

 

You will need some good procedures for COVID in place just in case, I would follow the BRC guidance on COVID and base a few simple procedures on this, just in case. 

 

Good Luck! 

[kingstudruler1]

i've been through two BRC audits during corona (june and july). The auditor was curious mostly for his safety - it seemed

we also pandemic to the business continuity plans. i'm not sure he even noticed it.

[classic]

We had our BRC certificate extended for 6 months by the risk assessment with the auditor through Microsoft Teams.  We then had the full audit 6 weeks later.  The auditor did ask questions again relating to Covid-19 rather randomly throughout the first day of the audit, we gave him exactly the same answers as we had done in the previous RA session.  No NC's relating to Covid.  Not yet received our new audit report so will be interesting to see how the auditor has documented these questions.

[crystalQC]

No - we did just have and pass our AIB BRC audit, in which the auditor did ask to see our COVID policy but nothing was noted of it. 

 

For reference we did look at the BRC COVID checklist prior to our audit and worked on this prior to his visit, although it didn't really change anything internally, I did feel more prepared for his covid related questions to see where his references where coming from.

 

https://www.brcgs.co...ne-free-002.pdf

[polymereng2004]

Has anyone had any specific Covid-19 questions/related queries/non-cons in reference to BRC food audit during the current pandemic?

We recently got an NC against BRCGS Packaging Materials Issue 6 Clause 3.13.3, "COVID- 19 incident is not reported adequately in the incident reporting register for the year 20"

[Foodworker]

Not BRC or similar, but I was involved in a cosmetics GMP audit last week and got a non conformity for not including Covid in the Hazard Analysis. There is nothing I can find in the Standard which has any bearing.

 

The product is over 70% alcohol so not sure what the logic was, but it was a remote audit which made arguing the point difficult

Edited by Foodworker, 07 December 2020 - 01:41 PM.

[Charles.C]

Not BRC or similar, but I was involved in a cosmetics GMP audit last week and got a non conformity for not including Covid in the Hazard Analysis. There is nothing I can find in the Standard which has any bearing.

 

The product is over 70% alcohol so not sure what the logic was, but it was a remote audit which made arguing the point difficult

 

Hi Foodworker,

 

The point would appear to be as to which specific BCPA/radiological hazard can be identified?

 

To my mind, Zero justification >> Zero hazard is sort of validatorily self-evident ?

[Andy_Yellows]

Not GFSI but we had our certification audit a fortnight ago and covid didn't come into it- once the safety protocols had been explained during the opening meeting it continued to be about the standard. Obviously some documents (TACCP, visitor questionnaire etc) had been updated to include covid stipulations but at no point did our auditor comment on the fact we had done this so I can only presume she didn't need to see it- ultimately it's a health and safety issue more than anything.