BRC S&D is the BRCGS Global Standard for Storage and Distribution, the certification scheme for sites that store, transport, wholesale or handle food, packaging and consumer products. Issue 4 is still the current edition, used for every audit since 1 May 2021 and amended from 10 August 2026, and no Issue 5 has been announced.
This guide is for warehouse, transport and quality managers preparing for a first audit or a recertification.
Who can be certificated to BRCGS Storage and Distribution?
Any logistics operation that handles food, packaging or consumer products can apply, at any point in the chain from primary production to retail. BRCGS lets a site scope the audit to what it really does: storage only, distribution only or transport only. The details are on the BRCGS Storage and Distribution page.
That covers ambient, chilled and frozen warehouses, hauliers, wholesalers and third-party logistics providers. A distribution scope needs real control of the fleet. The company owns or leases the vehicles and manages their servicing, or the vehicles and drivers are under its direct management.
The standard is recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative. GFSI announced on 6 July 2021 that Issue 4 had achieved recognition against its Benchmarking Requirements version 2020.1. This matters because many retailers ask for a GFSI-recognised certificate from every link in their supply chain, not only from manufacturers.
You will still see the old name everywhere. BRCGS is a trading name of BRC Trading Ltd, so "BRC S&D", "BRC Storage and Distribution" and "BRCGS Storage and Distribution" all mean the same standard.
Is there a BRCGS Storage and Distribution Issue 5?
No. BRCGS launched Issue 4 in 2020, and certification against it started on 1 May 2021. Since then all audits have been to Issue 4. BRCGS's own Storage and Distribution pages still name Issue 4 as current, and no Issue 5 draft or consultation had been published when this guide was reviewed.
The "Issue 5" people search for is a different standard. BRCGS announced that Consumer Products Issue 5 would be published in October 2026, with certification audits from April 2027. That change does not affect storage and distribution sites.
Instead of a new issue, BRCGS updates Issue 4 through position statements. They are mandatory from their effective date and count as part of the standard. The current set is published as SD404, version 8.1, which holds 20 position statements.
What do the 19 sections of Issue 4 cover?
Sections 1 to 9 are the core requirements. Section 9 applies only where a site handles open food. Sections 10 to 19 are voluntary modules that a site adds to match its services. The evidence column is AGS's interpretation of what auditors usually ask for, not BRCGS wording.
| Section | Topic | Typical evidence (AGS interpretation) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senior management commitment | Signed policy, objectives, management review minutes, product safety culture actions |
| 2 | Hazard and risk analysis | HARA or HACCP plan from receipt to dispatch, built on documented prerequisite programmes |
| 3 | Product safety and quality management system | Supplier and subcontractor approval, specifications, traceability tests, internal audits |
| 4 | Site and building standards | Site security, building maintenance, pest control reports |
| 5 | Vehicle operating standards | Pre-loading vehicle checks, transit temperature records, vehicle cleaning |
| 6 | Facility management | Equipment maintenance, thermometer calibration, cleaning schedules |
| 7 | Good operating practices | Goods-in checks, stock rotation, damaged goods and returns, allergen segregation |
| 8 | Personnel | Training records, hygiene rules, induction for agency staff and drivers |
| 9 | Handling of open food products | Protective clothing, hand washing, controls on open product areas |
| 10 | Wholesale | Vendor approval and specifications for products you buy and sell on |
| 11 | Cross-docking | A separate audit and report for each cross-dock site |
| 12 | E-commerce | Picking, packing and delivery controls for orders to consumers |
| 13 to 19 | Contracted services | Contracts, then records for inspection, repacking, quantity control, chilling or freezing, container cleaning and waste recovery |
What changed on 10 August 2026?
BRCGS revised SD404 in April and May 2026 to align Issue 4 with the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements 2024. The changes took effect on 10 August 2026, and certification bodies now audit against them. The clause numbers below come from BRCGS's key changes summary.
- Clause 2.1: prerequisite programmes must be in place before the risk analysis, and their controls must feed into the HARA or HACCP plan.
- Clauses 3.5.1.2 and 3.5.2.1: supplier specifications and subcontractor contracts must state the relevant technical and handling parameters.
- Clauses 3.5.3.1 and 4.2.1: people who carry out vulnerability assessments and food defence assessments must be shown to be competent.
- Clauses 6.1 and 6.4.5: equipment and cleaning equipment must be stored so they cannot contaminate product, and cleaning equipment must be identified for its use.
- Section 17 and clause 17.3: contract processing now includes irradiation, and monitoring covers process parameters such as pressure, not only temperature.
If your procedures predate August 2026, check these clauses first. Competence for fraud and defence assessments is a new requirement, so keep training or experience records for the people who carry them out.
What does an auditor check in a warehouse or on a vehicle?
Most of the audit happens on the floor and at the loading bays. Clause 2.1 lists the prerequisite programmes a storage site is expected to run. In practice that means building and vehicle maintenance, safe handling and transport, damages and returns, allergens, pest control, cleaning and disinfection, and the cold chain.
A typical trail starts at goods-in. The auditor picks a delivery and asks for the unloading check, the temperature reading and how damaged pallets were dealt with. They then follow the stock to its location, check rotation and segregation, and trace it to the outbound vehicle check and the delivery record.
Chilled and frozen sites get extra attention on the cold chain. Expect questions on alarm response, data logger downloads and what happens to product after a temperature excursion. Our guide to Codex HACCP explains the hazard analysis that sits behind these controls.
Open food needs care. Section 9 covers handling open product, not processing it, and even minimal processing falls outside the standard. A position statement makes one narrow exception for trimming fresh produce for appearance only. If you slice, mix or repack open food, ask your certification body whether a manufacturing standard such as BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 fits better.
How are audits graded and how often do they happen?
Announced audits are graded AA, A, B, C or D according to the number and type of non-conformities. Unannounced audits earn the same grades with a plus, from AA+ to D+. Since 1 February 2023, certificates last up to 12 months for grades AA to B and up to 6 months for grades C and D.
Every certificated site must have at least one unannounced audit every three years, even on the announced programme. A blended audit, with part of the work done remotely, is only available for announced audits. On unannounced Option 1, the audit can fall in the last 4 months of the cycle, and the site can name up to 10 non-audit days.
Voluntary modules sit on the same certificate and count towards the grade. Cross-docking is the exception. It has its own report and an annex, so a failed cross-dock site does not affect the main site's grade.
If your customers ask for IFS instead, our guide to IFS Logistics covers that scheme.
How AGS can help
The BRC S&D Management System contains 145 editable documents in Microsoft Word and Excel, including a compliance matrix that maps them to Issue 4 clauses. It includes a quality and product safety manual, 5 policies, 42 procedures and SOPs, and 58 forms and records, such as inbound and outbound vehicle checks. There are also 9 checklists, including a clause-by-clause Issue 4 checklist, 11 guidance documents and 6 training modules.
Frequently asked questions
Is there such a thing as a BRC certified warehouse?
Yes. The phrase means a site that a certification body has certificated to this standard after an audit. The certificate states the scope, such as storage, distribution or transport, and any modules.
Does each voluntary module get its own certificate?
No. One certificate is issued per audit, and it lists the modules and any exclusions. Cross-docking sites are added through an annex to the main certificate.
Can a site exclude part of its operation from the audit?
Only in limited cases. BRCGS expects excluded activities to be physically segregated and the products clearly different from those in scope, and the exclusion appears on the audit report.
Does buying documentation mean the site will be certificated?
No. Documents are a starting point. Certification depends on how the system is run and on the certification body's audit findings.
AGS provides independent documentation toolkits. This guide and the referenced kit are not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by BRCGS or any certification body, and they do not guarantee any audit or certification outcome.
Reviewed October 2026. Facts checked against the sources current at publication.
