Brc/iop Forum: Asda H/o Leeds

The BRC held a sort of update seminar / discussion forum on the BRC/IoP Packaging Standard at Asda's H/O in Leeds today. I believe there have been similar events in other parts of the country also.

I forgot I was going till this morning - did anyone attend Leeds today or maybe one of the others?

Presentations were made from various organisations that have an interest in the standard including:

 Kevin Swoffer - BRC
 Gordon Stewart - IoP
 Chris Suter - representing the UK Certification Bodies
 John Budden - Avalon Packaging
 Alan Botham - Northern Foods

The forum was pretty well attended including representatives from the retailers, food and packaging industries. As you would expect most of it was stuff we've heard before like Due Diligence, Accreditation Process for CB's, Certification process etc. and also the review of and changes to the standard and how the standard is developing.

Probably of most interest was the Q & A session at the end, which was quite lively and went on for a while.

Interesting snippets:

- So far estimated 600 companies have achieved the BRC/IoP Standard.

- Now 30 Accredited Certification Bodies worldwide, 12 in the UK, and the majority of the remainder in Europe, but also odd ones in the US, Australia and South Africa with China on the cards.

- The Equipt course (packaging course for CB auditors) has changed its format, but there seemed to be some confusion about how the BRC 3rd party auditor course and the Equipt course fit together. I think I mentioned in the review of the new standard that the Equipt course is not mentioned anywhere in revision 2. I thought it strange at the time and there seemed to be some confusion between the BRC and IoP reps on this. You would have thought this would have been settled considering the importance of CB auditors qualifications and competence.

-Northern foods have 40 plants and 300 packaging suppliers 100 of which are BRC/IoP certified. There stance is they would prefer all of their suppliers to be certificated but currently if they are not they are audited by Northern Foods.

- Northern Foods said they do not require suppliers to be ISO 9001:2000 certified if they have BRC/IoP Certificate.

- All of the major retailers in the UK have now signed up to the standard and also two of the major German retailers have also, which is encouraging.

- Someone asked if the retailers would help by putting pressure on suppliers to use only BRC/IoP Certificated companies. The guy from Asda said they are working on a policy and another of the retailers said they will be holding focus groups with suppliers to determine the way forward.

- I asked when we could expect to see the IFS Packaging Standard and more duplication and cost for exporters. The answer was basically it won't happen because of copyright and because we are too far ahead in terms of standards development. I'm not so sure.

- I also asked if it was too late to make friends with the Germans and have a European Standard with maybe a different name. Apparently the Germans won't play ball. Again I'm not so sure.

Cheers,
Simon

I also asked if it was too late to make friends with the Germans and have a European Standard with maybe a different name. Apparently the Germans won't play ball.  Again I'm not so sure.

Hello!

The CEN TC 261 WG 1 is working for an european Standard for a
"Hygiene Managament System for foodstuff" (working title).

First meeting was held in Berlin 2004-10-08

regards

Roland

The CEN TC 261 WG 1 is working for an european Standard for a "Hygiene Managament System for packaging of foodstuff" (working title).

Sorry!

The working title is:
"Management of hygiene in the production of packaging for foodstuff".

regards

Roland

The CEN TC 261 WG 1 is working for an european Standard for a "Hygiene Managament System for foodstuff" (working title).

First meeting was held in Berlin 2004-10-08

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How does this fit with the IFS Food Standard Roland?

The CEN TC 261 WG 1 is working for an european Standard for a "Hygiene Managament System for packaging of foodstuff" (working title).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's very interesting thanks for the information Roland. I feel so sorry for the poor old food and packaging exporters who will need to build bigger walls to display all the bloody certificates. It's enough to make one weep.

Excuse my language but I'm fed up with this political horse crap, no single country can win, and we the customers are the losers.

WE THE CUSTOMERS DEMAND SINGLE UNIFIED EUROPEAN STANDARDS.

Are any of you bureaucrats listening?

Regards,
Simon

> How does this fit with the IFS Food Standard Roland?

We hope, that there ist not comming a IFS-Packaging Standard

> WE THE CUSTOMERS DEMAND SINGLE UNIFIED EUROPEAN STANDARDS.

That is the reason for working for this european standard.

Companies, witch are not delivering to britsh retailers, do not want to fullfill
an britsh standard, an italian one, an french one, a german one.....
They want one european standard!

Sorry for my english!

Regards
Roland

Companies, witch are not delivering to britsh retailers, do not want to fullfill
an britsh standard, an italian one, an french one, a german one.....
They want one european standard!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only a fool would argue against high standards of food safety and we do want consistency throughout Europe. But nobody wants unnecessary bureaucracy and cost. I suppose in a way a country specific standard could be considered a barrier to free trade. I just wonder could this be considered illegal in the European Union.

By the way you English is fine Roland.

Regards,
Simon