What is the primary objective of BRC?

The primary objective of BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety is to ensure organizations produce safe, legal, and authentic food 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. Issue 9 (2022) emphasizes environmental monitoring, food defence, and labelling controls to address recall drivers.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with BRC?

No organization is legally required to comply with BRC, but it is professionally mandatory for food manufacturers supplying major retailers worldwide. The standard targets sites manufacturing, processing, or packing processed foods, ingredients, primary products like fruit/vegetables, and pet foods for domestic animals under direct site control. Retailers and brand owners mandate GFSI-benchmarked BRCGS certification for supply chain access, affecting tens of thousands of sites in 100+ countries.

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

Yes, BRC requires mandatory external audits by accredited certification bodies for third-party certification. Audits are site-specific, covering announced or unannounced options, with grading (AA/A/B/C/D, "+" for unannounced) based on non-conformance severity. Certification is valid for one year, with annual surveillance; fundamental clause failures (e.g., HACCP, traceability) can prevent certification or trigger withdrawal.

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 all clauses. Sites must conduct risk-based internal audits with full annual coverage, seasonal pre-startup checks, and management reviews at least annually. Unannounced audits enhance grading; corrective actions and root cause analysis must close within defined timeframes (e.g., 28 days for some non-conformities).

What are the consequences of non-compliance with BRC?

Non-compliance with BRC results in audit grading downgrades, certification suspension or withdrawal, and loss of retailer supply contracts. Critical/major non-conformities in fundamental clauses (e.g., senior commitment 1.1, HACCP Clause 2) block certification; traded products (Clause 9) affect overall grade if included. Commercial impacts include delisting, duplicative audits, and heightened recall risks from poor hygiene, allergens, or labelling.

Can BRC be mapped to other international frameworks?

Yes, BRC maps effectively to GFSI-benchmarked frameworks, providing a strong foundation for regulatory alignment like US FSMA Preventive Controls. Its HACCP, PRPs, and governance exceed many requirements, though adaptations (e.g., PCQI designation, preventive control labelling) are needed. Issue 8/9 structures enable interoperability without other standards mentioned.

What is the first step to begin implementing BRC?

The first step to implement BRC is securing senior management commitment via a signed food safety policy and forming a multidisciplinary HACCP team. Conduct a gap analysis using BRC's Get Started Assessment Tool against nine Issue 9 clauses (e.g., site standards, personnel), prioritizing fundamentals like internal audits (3.4) and traceability (3.9). Define scope, excluding non-controlled activities.

What is the primary objective of ISO 27017?

ISO 27017 provides cloud-specific implementation guidance for 37 ISO 27002 controls plus 7 additional cloud-focused controls (CLD.6.3.1, CLD.8.1.5, CLD.9.5.1, CLD.9.5.2, CLD.12.1.5, CLD.12.4.5, CLD.13.1.4). Published in 2015, it addresses shared responsibilities between cloud service providers (CSPs) and cloud service customers (CSCs), multi-tenancy segregation, virtual machine hardening, administrative operations security, customer monitoring, asset return/termination, and virtual/physical network alignment within an ISO 27001 ISMS.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with ISO 27017?

No organizations are legally required to comply with ISO 27017, as it is a voluntary code of practice. Professionally, CSPs and CSCs with significant cloud footprints adopt it to demonstrate due diligence, meet procurement demands, and enhance ISMS maturity, especially amid 94% cloud adoption and 61% cloud incident rates.

Does ISO 27017 require an external audit or third-party certification?

ISO 27017 does not support standalone third-party certification or external audits. It is implemented within an ISO 27001 ISMS, with auditors assessing its 37 extended and 7 CLD controls during ISO 27001 Stage 1/2 audits; certificates may reference ISO 27017 as an extension.

How often should an assessment for ISO 27017 be performed?

ISO 27017 assessments occur as part of annual ISO 27001 surveillance audits and triennial re-certification. Controls are continuously monitored via ISMS processes, with re-assessments triggered by significant cloud changes, aligning with ISO 27001's ongoing evaluation requirements.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with ISO 27017?

Non-compliance with ISO 27017 carries no direct legal penalties, as it is non-mandatory. Indirect risks include failed ISO 27001 audits, lost procurement opportunities, heightened breach exposure from unaddressed cloud risks (e.g., multi-tenancy failures), and regulatory scrutiny under data protection laws for inadequate cloud security.

Can ISO 27017 be mapped to other international frameworks?

Yes, ISO 27017 controls map directly to ISO 27001/27002 and extend to frameworks like NIST SP 800-53 and CSA STAR. Its 37 guidance and 7 CLD controls align with shared-responsibility models in FedRAMP and PCI-DSS, enabling unified compliance evidence in multi-framework environments.

What is the first step to begin implementing ISO 27017?

Conduct a cloud-specific risk assessment within your ISO 27001 ISMS to identify applicable controls. Define CSP/CSC responsibilities per CLD.6.3.1, scope cloud services (IaaS/PaaS/SaaS), and update the Statement of Applicability to include the 37 extended and 7 CLD controls.

Standards Comparison

BRC vs ISO 27017

BRC

Voluntary

2022

GFSI-benchmarked standard for food safety manufacturing

ISO 27017

Voluntary

2015

International standard for cloud-specific security controls.

Quick Verdict

BRC ensures food safety for manufacturers via HACCP and audits, securing retailer access. ISO 27017 provides cloud security guidance within ISO 27001, clarifying shared responsibilities for providers and customers to mitigate multi-tenancy risks.

Food Safety

BRC

BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety

Cost

€€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

6-12 months

Key Features

GFSI-benchmarked certification recognized by retailers
Fundamental non-negotiable safety requirements
Codex HACCP integrated with PRPs
Graded audits AA/A/B/C/D-plus
Risk-based environmental monitoring expansion

Cloud Security

ISO 27017

ISO/IEC 27017:2015 Code of practice for cloud security

Cost

€€€

Complexity

Medium

Implementation Time

6-12 months

Key Features

Clarifies shared responsibilities between CSPs and CSCs
Adds seven cloud-specific CLD controls to ISO 27002
Provides guidance for 37 ISO 27002 controls in cloud
Addresses multi-tenancy segregation and VM hardening
Enables customer monitoring of cloud service activities

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 third-party certification framework for food manufacturers, processors, and packers. It ensures product safety, legality, authenticity, and quality across supply chains. Built on a risk-based approach combining Codex HACCP with robust prerequisite programs (PRPs) like GMP/GHP.

Key Components

Seven core sections: senior management, HACCP plan, FSQMS, site standards, product/process control, personnel.
Fundamental requirements (non-negotiable, e.g., HACCP, traceability, allergens).
Graded certification (AA/A/B/C/D) via annual audits, including unannounced options.
Strict scope rules with physical segregation for exclusions.

Why Organizations Use It

Mandated by retailers for market access.
Reduces recalls via controls on allergens, pathogens, labelling.
Builds trust, evidences due diligence, GFSI recognition.
Drives efficiency, continuous improvement through CAPA, internal audits.

Implementation Overview

Phased: gap analysis, documentation, training, mock audits, certification.
Applies to manufacturers globally, scalable for SMEs via START.
Requires accredited certification body audits, root cause analysis.

ISO 27017 Details

What It Is

ISO/IEC 27017:2015 is a code of practice extending ISO/IEC 27002 with cloud-specific information security controls. It provides guidance for applying 37 existing controls and adds seven new ones in cloud environments, using a risk-based approach within an ISO 27001 ISMS.

Key Components

Guidance on 37 ISO 27002 controls adapted for cloud.
Seven CLD cloud-specific controls (e.g., shared responsibilities, VM segregation).
Domains mirror ISO 27002: access, operations, supplier relationships.
Integrated into ISO 27001 certification; no standalone cert.

Why Organizations Use It

Clarifies shared responsibilities between CSPs and CSCs.
Meets procurement, regulatory demands (e.g., GDPR alignment).
Reduces cloud risks like multi-tenancy breaches.
Builds trust, differentiates CSPs in competitive markets.

Implementation Overview

Extend existing ISO 27001 ISMS via risk assessment.
Map controls, implement segregation/monitoring, update SoA.
Suits CSPs, CSCs across sizes/industries; global applicability.
Audited as ISO 27001 extension; joint audits 9-12 months.

Key Differences

Aspect	BRC	ISO 27017
Scope	Food safety manufacturing, processing, packing	Cloud-specific information security controls
Industry	Food, packaging, storage, global manufacturers	Cloud providers, customers, all cloud-using sectors
Nature	Voluntary GFSI-benchmarked certification standard	Guidance code of practice extending ISO 27001
Testing	Annual on-site audits, grading AA/A/B/C/D	Integrated into ISO 27001 audits, no standalone cert
Penalties	Certification loss, market access denial	No direct penalties, impacts ISO 27001 certification

Scope

BRC

Food safety manufacturing, processing, packing

ISO 27017

Cloud-specific information security controls

Industry

BRC

Food, packaging, storage, global manufacturers

ISO 27017

Cloud providers, customers, all cloud-using sectors

Nature

BRC

Voluntary GFSI-benchmarked certification standard

ISO 27017

Guidance code of practice extending ISO 27001

Testing

BRC

Annual on-site audits, grading AA/A/B/C/D

ISO 27017

Integrated into ISO 27001 audits, no standalone cert

Penalties

BRC

Certification loss, market access denial

ISO 27017

No direct penalties, impacts ISO 27001 certification

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about BRC and ISO 27017

BRC FAQ

ISO 27017 FAQ

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What It Is

Key Components

Seven core sections: senior management, HACCP plan, FSQMS, site standards, product/process control, personnel.

Fundamental requirements (non-negotiable, e.g., HACCP, traceability, allergens).

Graded certification (AA/A/B/C/D) via annual audits, including unannounced options.

Strict scope rules with physical segregation for exclusions.

What It Is

Key Components

Guidance on 37 ISO 27002 controls adapted for cloud.
Seven CLD cloud-specific controls (e.g., shared responsibilities, VM segregation).
Domains mirror ISO 27002: access, operations, supplier relationships.
Integrated into ISO 27001 certification; no standalone cert.

Why Organizations Use It

Clarifies shared responsibilities between CSPs and CSCs.
Meets procurement, regulatory demands (e.g., GDPR alignment).
Reduces cloud risks like multi-tenancy breaches.
Builds trust, differentiates CSPs in competitive markets.

Implementation Overview

Extend existing ISO 27001 ISMS via risk assessment.
Map controls, implement segregation/monitoring, update SoA.
Suits CSPs, CSCs across sizes/industries; global applicability.
Audited as ISO 27001 extension; joint audits 9-12 months.

Aspect

BRC

ISO 27017

Scope

Food safety manufacturing, processing, packing

Cloud-specific information security controls

Industry

Food, packaging, storage, global manufacturers

Cloud providers, customers, all cloud-using sectors

Nature

Voluntary GFSI-benchmarked certification standard

Guidance code of practice extending ISO 27001

Testing

Annual on-site audits, grading AA/A/B/C/D

Integrated into ISO 27001 audits, no standalone cert

Penalties

Certification loss, market access denial

No direct penalties, impacts ISO 27001 certification