What is the primary objective of **BRC**?

**The primary objective of BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety is to ensure organizations produce safe, legal, authentic products meeting customer quality requirements through a structured management system.** It combines senior management commitment with a Codex HACCP-based food safety plan and prerequisite programs (GMP/GHP) to control contamination, mislabelling, food fraud, and operational risks across manufacturing, processing, and packing.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **BRC**?

**BRC compliance is professionally required for food manufacturers, processors, and packers supplying retailers worldwide, as it is mandated by major retailers and GFSI-benchmarked for supply chain access.** It applies to sites producing processed foods, ingredients, primary products like fruit/vegetables, and domestic pet foods under direct management control; exclusions are limited to physically segregated, differentiable products.

Does **BRC** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**Yes, BRC requires external audits by accredited certification bodies, with certificates issued annually based on performance.** Audits are announced or unannounced, covering nine clauses (Issue 8 structure), with grading (AA/A/B/C/D, "+" for unannounced) tied to non-conformance severity; fundamental clauses like HACCP and traceability must comply fully for certification.

How often should an assessment for **BRC** be performed?

**BRC requires annual third-party certification audits, plus internal audits at least four times yearly across the site.** Internal audits must cover all clauses with risk-based frequency, full annual coverage, and root cause analysis for non-conformities; management reviews occur annually, with quarterly objective reporting and monthly food safety meetings.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **BRC**?

**Non-compliance with BRC fundamental requirements results in non-certification, grade reduction, or certificate withdrawal.** Major non-conformities in clauses like HACCP (2), internal audits (3.4), or traceability (3.9) require full re-audit; commercial impacts include retailer delisting, contract loss, and reputational damage from recalls linked to allergens, pathogens, or labelling failures.

Can **BRC** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, BRC maps effectively to GFSI-benchmarked frameworks, providing a foundation for regulatory alignment like FSMA Preventive Controls.** Its HACCP, PRPs, and governance exceed many requirements, though adaptations for terminology (e.g., preventive controls) and roles (e.g., PCQI) are needed; it supports multi-scheme interoperability for global operations.

What is the first step to begin implementing **BRC**?

**The first step for BRC implementation is securing senior management commitment via a signed food safety policy and defining audit scope.** Assemble a multidisciplinary team, conduct a gap analysis against nine clauses using BRC tools, and prioritize fundamental requirements like HACCP development and site standards remediation.

What is the primary objective of **ISO 22301**?

**ISO 22301 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS).** It enables organizations to protect against, reduce the likelihood of, and recover from disruptive incidents through a PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle across 10 clauses, focusing on resilience via **Business Impact Analysis (BIA)**, risk assessment, operational controls, monitoring, audits, and continual improvement.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **ISO 22301**?

**ISO 22301 applies to organizations of all sizes and sectors seeking resilience, with heightened professional relevance in critical sectors like utilities, transport, health, finance, and IT.** It is not universally legally mandated but supports compliance with regulations like the EU NIS Directive for essential services; certifications surged 82.9% in 2020 amid disruptions like COVID-19, driven by needs in high-risk operations.

Does **ISO 22301** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**ISO 22301 certification requires a two-stage external audit by an accredited body, valid for 3 years with annual surveillance audits.** Stage 1 assesses readiness, Stage 2 verifies effectiveness (typically 6-8 weeks total); internal audits are also mandated annually per Clause 9 for performance evaluation.

How often should an assessment for **ISO 22301** be performed?

**ISO 22301 requires internal audits and management reviews at planned intervals, typically annually, with continual monitoring per Clause 9.** Full standard reviews occur every 5 years; certification involves annual surveillance, plus testing of BCMS via exercises to verify **Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs)**.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **ISO 22301**?

**Non-compliance with ISO 22301 exposes organizations to unmitigated disruptions, financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties where mandated (e.g., NIS Directive).** Certified organizations avoid these via tested BCMS; uncertified firms face 20% annual significant disruption risk, higher insurance costs, and lost procurement advantages.

Can **ISO 22301** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, ISO 22301 seamlessly maps to other frameworks via its Annex SL high-level structure.** It aligns with ISO 27001 for integrated BCMS-ISMS, ISO 31000 for risk management, and ISO 22313 for guidance, enabling bundled implementations and efficiencies like shared audits and procedures.

What is the first step to begin implementing **ISO 22301**?

**The first step is conducting a gap analysis against Clauses 4-10 to understand organizational context and scope the BCMS.** This involves leadership commitment (Clause 5), followed by **BIA** and risk assessment (Clauses 6/8) to prioritize critical functions.

BRC vs ISO 22301

Standards Comparison

BRC

Voluntary

2022

GFSI-benchmarked standard for food safety manufacturing

ISO 22301

Voluntary

2019

International standard for business continuity management systems.

Quick Verdict

BRC ensures food safety via HACCP and GMP for manufacturers seeking retailer access, while ISO 22301 builds business continuity resilience against disruptions for all organizations. Companies adopt BRC for supply chain compliance; ISO 22301 for operational recovery and risk mitigation.

Food Safety

BRC

BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety

Cost

€€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

6-12 months

Key Features

GFSI-benchmarked certification for global retailers
Senior management commitment with culture plan
Codex HACCP-based food safety system
Fundamental requirements targeting recall drivers
Environmental monitoring and food defence controls

Business Continuity

ISO 22301

ISO 22301:2019 Business continuity management systems — Requirements

Cost

€€€

Complexity

Medium

Implementation Time

0-6 months

Key Features

PDCA cycle with Annex SL high-level structure
Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and risk assessment
Leadership commitment and BCMS policy requirements
Operational planning, strategies, and testing exercises
Integration with ISO 27001 and other standards

Detailed Analysis

A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

BRC Details

What It Is

BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety (Issue 9) is a GFSI-benchmarked third-party certification framework for food manufacturers. It ensures product safety, legality, authenticity, and quality through a structured management system combining senior management commitment and Codex HACCP-based plans with prerequisite programs.

Key Components

Nine core clauses: senior commitment, HACCP plan, FSQMS, site standards, product/process controls, personnel, risk zones, traded products.
Fundamental requirements (e.g., traceability, allergens, CAPA) critical for certification.
Graded audits (AA/A/B/C/D) with announced/unannounced options; root cause analysis mandatory.

Why Organizations Use It

Provides market access to retailers mandating GFSI schemes, reduces duplicative audits, evidences due diligence, mitigates recall risks (allergens, pathogens), builds trust. Aligns with FSMA; enhances resilience.

Implementation Overview

Phased approach: gap analysis, documentation, training, internal audits, certification audit. Applies to manufacturers globally; 6-12 months typical for mid-size sites with CAPEX for upgrades.

ISO 22301 Details

What It Is

ISO 22301:2019 is the international standard titled Security and resilience — Business continuity management systems — Requirements. It provides a certifiable framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS). The primary purpose is to enhance organizational resilience against disruptions like cyberattacks, natural disasters, and supply chain failures. It follows a risk-based, PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) approach with 10 clauses, emphasizing flexibility without prescriptive controls.

Key Components

Clauses 4-10 cover context, leadership, planning (including BIA and risk assessment), support, operation, evaluation, and improvement.
Core principles: Annex SL high-level structure for integration; key terms like RTO, MTPD.
Certification model: 3-year validity with annual surveillance audits post two-stage process.

Why Organizations Use It

Drives resilience, reduces downtime and losses, ensures regulatory compliance (e.g., NIS Directive), boosts reputation and competitive edge. Builds stakeholder trust amid rising global risks.

Implementation Overview

Gap analysis, BIA, policy development, training, testing, audits. Applicable to all sizes/sectors; 60 days to 6 months typical with tools. External certification recommended.

Key Differences

Aspect	BRC	ISO 22301
Scope	Food safety, HACCP, site standards, quality	Business continuity, BCMS, disruption recovery
Industry	Food manufacturing, packaging, all sizes globally	All sectors, sizes, global applicability
Nature	Voluntary GFSI-benchmarked certification	Voluntary ISO management system standard
Testing	Annual announced/unannounced audits, internal audits	BIA testing, exercises, internal/external audits
Penalties	Grade downgrade, certification loss, market exclusion	No legal penalties, certification withdrawal

Scope

BRC

Food safety, HACCP, site standards, quality

ISO 22301

Business continuity, BCMS, disruption recovery

Industry

BRC

Food manufacturing, packaging, all sizes globally

ISO 22301

All sectors, sizes, global applicability

Nature

BRC

Voluntary GFSI-benchmarked certification

ISO 22301

Voluntary ISO management system standard

Testing

BRC

Annual announced/unannounced audits, internal audits

ISO 22301

BIA testing, exercises, internal/external audits

Penalties

BRC

Grade downgrade, certification loss, market exclusion

ISO 22301

No legal penalties, certification withdrawal

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about BRC and ISO 22301

BRC FAQ

ISO 22301 FAQ

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BRC

ISO 22301

Quick Verdict

BRC

Key Features

ISO 22301

Key Features

Detailed Analysis

BRC Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

ISO 22301 Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

Key Differences

Scope

Industry

Nature

Testing

Penalties

Frequently Asked Questions

BRC FAQ

What is the primary objective of BRC?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with BRC?

Does BRC require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for BRC be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with BRC?

Can BRC be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing BRC?

ISO 22301 FAQ

What is the primary objective of ISO 22301?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with ISO 22301?

Does ISO 22301 require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for ISO 22301 be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with ISO 22301?

Can ISO 22301 be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing ISO 22301?

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Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

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