BRCGS certification in Australia:
a plain guide
Which issue you’ll be audited to, the 12 fundamental requirements, how grading and unannounced audits work, and what a HACCP site has to add.
BRCGS certification means passing an audit against the BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety, a GFSI-recognised scheme. Issue 9 is the current issue. Issue 10 is in development, with no release date announced as of August 2026. The Standard is prescriptive, has 12 fundamental requirements, and grades each audit from AA to D. At least one audit in every three years must be unannounced.
Issue 9 today. Don’t wait for Issue 10.
Build to Issue 9 now. Ask your certification body for transition dates once Issue 10 is published.
Issue 9 published
The ninth issue of the Food Safety Standard, building on Issue 8’s senior management commitment and food safety culture requirements.
Issue 9 audits begin
All BRCGS Food Safety audits since then have been to Issue 9.
Issue 10 still in development
BRCGS says Issue 10 continues to be developed through consultation. No publication or audit start date had been announced.
Source: BRCGS, “Behind the scenes of Food Safety Issue 10” (11 August 2026); BRCGS Food Safety help and guidance.
The 12 fundamental requirements
A major or critical non-conformity against any of these means no certificate from that audit. Get these right first.
| Clause | Requirement | Evidence an auditor will ask for |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Senior management commitment | Food safety culture plan, management review minutes, resourcing decisions |
| 2 | Food safety plan (HACCP) | HACCP team, hazard analysis, CCP limits, monitoring and verification records |
| 3.4 | Internal audits | A year-round schedule, completed audits, findings closed out |
| 3.5.1 | Supplier approval | Risk assessments, approved supplier list, current certificates |
| 3.7 | Corrective and preventive action | Root cause, action, owner and proof it worked |
| 3.9 | Traceability | Batch records forwards and backwards, and your latest traceability test |
| 4.3 | Layout, product flow and segregation | Site plan showing flows and risk zones, and how you keep them apart |
| 4.11 | Housekeeping and hygiene | Cleaning schedules, verification checks, environmental monitoring results |
| 5.3 | Allergen management | Allergen risk assessment, controls on the line, validated cleaning |
| 6.1 | Control of operations | Process specs, line start-up checks, in-process records |
| 6.2 | Labelling and pack control | Label checks at changeover and during runs, with signed records |
| 7.1 | Training | Training records and competence checks for everyone in production areas |
Clause titles summarised from BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety Issue 9. The Standard sets the exact wording.
How BRCGS audits are graded
Your grade depends on the number and severity of non-conformities. Buyers can see it.
AA down to D
AA means the fewest findings. Each step down reflects more minor or major non-conformities. A critical finding, or too many majors, means no certificate.
A “+” for unannounced
Grades from unannounced audits carry a plus, such as AA+. Some buyers may look for it.
Lower grade, sooner re-audit
Lower grades can bring your next audit forward. Check the audit frequency for your grade in the Standard’s protocol.
Announced audits
You agree the date with your certification body. Your first certification audit is announced.
Blended audits
Part of the document review is done remotely, followed by the on-site audit.
Unannounced audits
To meet GFSI rules, at least one audit in every three years is unannounced. For a new site, the first is due within two years.
Source: BRCGS079 Position Statement on unannounced audits (v6, July 2024). You have 28 calendar days after the audit to send evidence of corrective action before your grade is confirmed.
What a HACCP site has to add for BRCGS
BRCGS is the most detailed of the three schemes about the site itself. Expect work on the floor, not just in folders.
Production risk zones
Mapping your site into risk zones, then showing how people, product, waste and air move between them.
Food safety culture plan
A plan with activities, timescales and ways to measure progress, owned by senior management.
Internal audits through the year
Issue 9 expects internal audits spread over at least four dates a year, not one big audit before certification.
Tested traceability
A traceability test at least once a year, from raw material to finished product and back.
Food defence and fraud
A site security assessment and a vulnerability assessment for raw material fraud, with controls where needed.
Label and pack control
Formal checks at line start-up, changeover and during runs, so the right label goes on the right pack.
Undeclared allergens were the top cause of Australian food recalls in 2025. Source: FSANZ, 2025. See also HACCP and prerequisite programs.
How to get BRCGS certified
From first read of the Standard to your grade.
Get the Standard and train your lead
Download Issue 9 from BRCGS. Train the person who will own it, ideally on a site-focused Issue 9 course.
Gap analysis, fundamentals first
Check your site against every clause. Fix the 12 fundamental requirements before anything else.
Implement and build records
Write missing procedures, make site changes, and run the system long enough to show it works.
Internal audits and a mock audit
Complete your internal audit program and close findings. A mock audit shows how you’d grade today.
Choose a certification body and audit option
Pick a BRCGS-approved certification body. Agree scope and choose announced or blended for your first audit.
The certification audit
The auditor reviews documents, then spends much of the time on the floor, watching and tracing.
Send corrective action evidence
Submit evidence for each non-conformity. The certification body then confirms your grade and certificate.
Recertify
Re-audits follow the frequency set for your grade, with at least one unannounced audit in every three years.
What BRCGS certification costs you
Audit length depends on your site, staff numbers and HACCP studies. Get written quotes from more than one certification body.
Fees you pay out
- Certification body audit days and travel
- Issue 9 training for your lead
- Consultant or mock audit, if used
Work on site
- Layout and segregation changes for risk zones
- Surface, drainage or equipment repairs
- Environmental monitoring and allergen testing
Your team’s time
- Culture plan and management reviews
- Internal audits across the year
- Label checks every changeover
- Traceability tests
Is BRCGS the right scheme for you?
BRCGS, SQF and FSSC 22000 are all GFSI-recognised and sit at the same level. BRCGS isn’t harder or higher. It is more prescriptive, which some first-timers find easier to work to.
BRCGS fits well if
- Your buyers or export markets name BRCGS
- You want the Standard to spell out what good looks like
- A visible grade helps you win or keep customers
- You want an entry step first: BRCGS START!, aligned to the GFSI Global Markets program
Look elsewhere if
- Your key buyers name SQF: see SQF certification
- You already run ISO 9001: see FSSC 22000
- A grade below AA would worry a buyer more than a pass/fail certificate
Coles and Woolworths programs sit on top of a GFSI certificate. See Coles and Woolworths audit prep.
Every fundamental, backed by records you can find
BRCGS auditors trace. They pick a batch and follow it. The hard part is finding the proof fast.
BRCGS clause tracking
Track progress against BRCGS clauses with evidence notes, so you know which fundamentals are covered.
HACCP and all 18 PRPs
CCP monitoring with deviation alerts, plus ready templates for all 18 prerequisite programs.
Corrective actions (3.7)
Root cause, owner, due date and evidence for every finding, ready for your 28-day submission.
Supplier approval (3.5.1)
A supplier certificate vault with expiry alerts and approved supplier records.
Traceability (3.9)
Batch and lot records, so you can show recall readiness when asked.
Consultant access
Your consultant can review and sign off corrective actions remotely from their own dashboard.
See how scheme clause tracking works. Built in Melbourne, with data stored in Sydney.
A traceability challenge, answered in under a minute
The auditor picks a finished batch and asks for its raw materials, supplier certificates and CCP records.
Find the batch
Pull up the batch and lot record for the product the auditor chose.
Show the supplier evidence
Open the approved supplier record and its current certificate from the vault.
Export the audit pack
One click builds the pack, organised by requirement. No hunting through binders while the auditor waits.
Free: 59-point Retailer Audit Readiness Checklist (PDF + Excel)
Test your records against what auditors check first, before your BRCGS audit.
Related
BRCGS certification: common questions
Is BRCGS Issue 10 out yet?
What are the BRCGS fundamental requirements?
Are BRCGS audits unannounced?
What grade do I need to pass a BRCGS audit?
Is BRCGS better than SQF or FSSC 22000?
Go for your best grade with proof on hand.
Check your gaps against the fundamentals, then keep every record one click from the auditor.