Most food processors will be familiar with BRC Food Safety auditing standards. We would like to let you know that BRC recently adopted the GFSI Hygienic Design Benchmarking Requirements (Document JII) into its auditing standard and started auditing against it this year.
Implementation of the requirements is currently voluntary, but other Certification Program Owners (CPOs) like BRC are sure to follow.
What could this mean for food processors?
The aim is the full adoption of hygienic design by the global food industry and its suppliers.
- European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group (EHEDG) standards will now focus on the entire food supply chain. From designing more hygienic combine harvesters through to food manufacturing equipment, food service and even retail display equipment.
- The requirements also call for a better understanding and management of the food safety hazards associated with equipment and buildings i.e. hygienic design risk assessment.
- Food processing companies will need to consider design and use when choosing a building or piece of equipment.
- Equipment manufacturers will need to factor in hygienic design principles when building equipment or commissioning a building.
EHEDG is currently compiling guidelines on how to undertake this new hygienic design risk assessment process, which will improve food safety on a farm-to-fork basis.
