Who is Leading The Food Retail Standards Market?

Dear All,

This is hardly an original topic but not visited recently I think.

No idea about numbers (worth a poll ??) but in the non-American world (I know nothing about USA), I get the feeling that BRC is becoming increasingly penetrative apart from Germany / France perhaps ?.

For the earlier versions I conceptually approved of BRC. I liked the tiered structure and the appraisal mechanism. I thought it had a user-friendly flavour despite the occasional layout oscillations and it’s undisguised relevance to due diligence in the UK. But now I think it is in the process of creating a monster.

A few personal opinions –

(a) Text is becoming increasingly ISO – like.
(b) Audit frequencies becoming unmistakeably profit oriented even if explained on a “risk” basis.
© New version frequencies same as (b) (Didn’t actually check the precise chronology, but I think I’m correct).

I am hoping that ISO 22000 will progress in the opposite direction as familiarity encourages better understanding. 22004 was a start. There also seem to be some signs of this within contributions on this forum. If so, it may have a competitive chance internationally IMO.

No doubt British retailers will disagree with me !

Any opinions on this subject.

( PS - I added the word "Retail" to make the title match my post but any other category comments welcome )

Rgds / Charles.C

I know in the UK BRC is blowing ISO out of the water. I don't know of any manufacturer supplying the major retailers who doesn't have BRC now. Tesco though are starting to worry about the standard of auditing from different BRC auditors but I believe they're all going to be more closely monitored nowadays. Personally I've seen immense variation in audits from one BRC auditor to the next (even from the same company) but I have never had as ineffective an audit as when I was audited against ISO.

BRC-Food is clearly the leading private food safety standard in UK and of course, the ripple effects allowed it to spread across the overall food chains within the same confine.

However, in Asia where I come from, only Organizations that have businesses with members the British Retail Consortium are "forced" into embracing it. Otherwise, ISO 22000:2005 is fast replacing the usual Codex-HACCP (including those standards along the same alignment i.e RvA HACCP etc) which really in terms of audit criteria is some what out of date.

Several countries such as India was one of the first to embrace ISO 22000 as their National Standard and it also became BS EN ISO 22000:2005 as well.

IMO, I do see ISO 22000 as the imminent choice of change in the attempt towards global harmonization of food safety standards but evidently at this point, it has not reached critical mass yet.

IMO, I do see ISO 22000 as the imminent choice of change in the attempt towards global harmonization of food safety standards but evidently at this point, it has not reached critical mass yet.

If it's a straight race between ISO and GFSI I would say GFSI had a great start and is way, way out in front in the global food safety standard harmonisation stakes.

The Global Food Safety Initiative continues to grow in importance in the world of food safety internationally, with the alignment in 2007 of four major food safety management schemes with its Guidance Document (BRC, Dutch HACCP, IFS and SQF) and the common acceptance of these standards by 7 major international retailers (Carrefour, Delhaize, Metro, Migros, Royal Ahold, Tesco and Wal-Mart).

The above quote is taken from this latest news item: Food Service and Food Retail Unite on Food Safety

Regards,
Simon

Dear Simon,

Good of you to champion the GFSI cause , nobody else seems to be posting about it here.

Is there any evidence that it is having a significant effect on the food business other than amazingly creating a French - US entente?.

Un Cordon Bleu hamburger, s'il vous plait ? Mon dieu !

Rgds / Charles.C

QUOTE
The Global Food Safety Initiative continues to grow in importance in the world of food safety internationally, with the alignment in 2007 of four major food safety management schemes with its Guidance Document (BRC, Dutch HACCP, IFS and SQF) and the common acceptance of these standards by 7 major international retailers (Carrefour, Delhaize, Metro, Migros, Royal Ahold, Tesco and Wal-Mart).

I accept the fact that GFSI has a head start but the attempt to globalize these "4 collaborative standards) had somewhat failed to go beyond the confine of their origins. Correct me if I am wrong but I believe over the last 10 years, business growth for members of the 4 private standards had been in the Middle East and Eastern Asia.

However, over in Asia, local suppliers to members of GFSI are apparently not required to embrace any of their collaborative-standards at all - sad! Frankly, I feel GFSI members should enforce the requirements of their private standards otherwise food safety may appear to be seen as negotiable!

Hypothetically speaking, if China tomorrow were to embrace ISO 22000:2005 as their National Standard and insist that BRC-Food is no longer acceptable in China, GFSI members becomes immediately irrelevant.

Despite GFSI having been around the globe for so long, it never really made a profound impact on Asian Exporters. It is likely expected to see a probable "merger" in the form of mutually recognized arrangement between GFSI and ISO as the indication from a GFSI article some 6 months back appears to suggest so.

However, IMO, given the strong collaboration between IRCA and RAB-QSA and the impact ISO 22000 has in the US (thanks to John Surak), I still favor ISO 22000 to win the race.

(This would be my last contribution for now. Yes! I am heading off for Scotland / Ireland later today. Do accept my apologies as I would not be able to respond during my travels)

Tesco though are starting to worry about the standard of auditing from different BRC auditors but I believe they're all going to be more closely monitored nowadays.

Mr Tesco needs to practise what he preaches and not to worry how the rest of us are doing our jobs!
The Tesco COP for food manufacturing is 125 pages long, and frankly its laughable! There are clauses in there which you could recite as an act at the Royal Variety Show and guarantee a laugh!

copies available on request

c x

Good of you to champion the GFSI cause , nobody else seems to be posting about it here.

Is there any evidence that it is having a significant effect on the food business other than amazingly creating a French - US entente?.

I have absolutely no idea how well GFSI is doing versus ISO 22000. However, I think the solution is for the hierachy of these organisations to go for a few beers followed by a large curry and then some more beers. Where there's a will there's a way. Not a very technical solution, but you should know me by now.

They could invite Caz as the refereee, but she will probably be shopping in Tesco.