BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 is the current edition of the BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety, published in August 2022 and used for every audit since 1 February 2023. It sets requirements in nine sections, including 12 fundamental requirements, and stays in force while Issue 10 is written, with no publication date announced.
This guide is for technical and quality managers at food manufacturing sites preparing for a first BRCGS audit or keeping an Issue 9 certificate.
What is BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 and what changed from Issue 8?
The Standard sets safety, quality and operational criteria for sites that manufacture, process and pack food. Brand owners and retailers use it to approve suppliers. In January 2026 BRCGS reported over 24,500 certificated sites in 137 countries. Issue 9 is recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) against its benchmarking requirements version 2020, which BRCGS announced in August 2024.
Issue 9 built on Issue 8, and most clauses only received wording edits. The BRCGS guide to key changes lists the main differences:
- A major revision of clause 1.1.2, the plan for food safety and quality culture.
- Section 2, the HACCP food safety plan, aligned with the 2020 revision of the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene.
- A full review of the equipment requirements in section 4.6, following GFSI's benchmark on hygienic design.
- A new definition of outsourced processing, and the rules for animal primary conversion moved into the Standard.
- The word "authenticity" in place of "integrity", and a blended audit option that uses remote technology.
BRCGS offers the Standard free of charge through its online store. Read it with the Interpretation Guideline, which explains each clause in more detail.
What are the nine sections and the fundamental requirements?
Part II of the Standard holds the requirements. Each clause group opens with a statement of intent, the outcome the site must achieve. BRCGS marks 12 of these groups as fundamental in its Issue 9 self-assessment tool. Part III of the Standard explains how a failure against a fundamental requirement affects certification, so read it before your audit.
| Section | What it covers | Fundamental requirements |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Senior management commitment | Commitment, culture plan, management review, structure and responsibilities | 1.1 Senior management commitment and continual improvement |
| 2 The food safety plan (HACCP) | HACCP team, prerequisite programmes, hazard analysis, CCPs, validation and records | The whole section |
| 3 Food safety and quality management system | Manual, documents, records, internal audit, suppliers, specifications, traceability, complaints, incidents and recall | 3.4 Internal audits, 3.5.1 Supplier management, 3.7 Corrective and preventive actions, 3.9 Traceability |
| 4 Site standards | Security, food defence, building, equipment, maintenance, foreign bodies, pest control, storage and transport | 4.3 Layout, product flow and segregation, 4.11 Housekeeping and hygiene |
| 5 Product control | Product design, labelling, allergens, authenticity, packaging, testing and release | 5.3 Management of allergens |
| 6 Process control | Control of operations, labelling and pack control, quantity, calibration | 6.1 Control of operations, 6.2 Labelling and pack control |
| 7 Personnel | Training, personal hygiene, medical screening, protective clothing | 7.1 Training |
| 8 Production risk zones | Extra controls for high-risk, high-care and ambient high-care areas | None |
| 9 Traded products | Products the site buys and sells on without processing them | None |
Section 9 applies only to sites that handle traded products. Section 2 follows the Codex HACCP steps and principles, and our guide to Codex HACCP explains them.
How are BRCGS audits run and graded?
A site chooses an announced audit, a blended announced audit or the voluntary unannounced programme. In a blended audit, a remote part reviews documents and records, then an on-site part covers production and storage. Sites in the announced programme must also have one unannounced audit at least every three years. This GFSI rule is now part of the Issue 9 audit protocol.
Grades run from AA down to D. Unannounced audits add a plus sign, so a site can earn AA+ or A+. A site graded C or D is audited every six months instead of every twelve.
After the audit, the site has 28 days to send its corrective actions, root cause analysis and preventive action plan to the certification body. If certification is granted, the certificate is issued within 42 days. A site may name up to 10 days a year when it cannot be audited, or 5 days on a six-month cycle. Public holidays and shutdowns do not count towards that limit.
What changed for Issue 9 sites in August 2026?
BRCGS publishes position statements that are mandatory extensions of the Standard. Version 4 of F926, the Issue 9 position statements, took effect on 10 August 2026. It aligns Issue 9 with the GFSI benchmarking requirements version 2024. Four statements now apply:
- Clause 7.4.2 on protective clothing now requires beard and moustache snoods and suitable protective footwear where needed to prevent contamination.
- Clause 1.1.10 makes the site responsible for arrangements that let an unannounced audit happen. If contracts are not agreed before the four-month audit window opens, the due date moves, the certificate may lapse and a major non-conformity is raised.
- A site cannot change certification body in the four months before its re-audit due date without a BRCGS concession.
- An initial audit now means the first audit at a site address, or an audit where the previous certificate lapsed more than 24 months ago.
Check your footwear policy, hygiene rules and visitor procedures against the new clause 7.4.2 first. It is the change most likely to show up on the factory floor.
What will an auditor check on the factory floor?
BRCGS colour-codes its requirements. Some are audited through records, some in the production areas, and some in both. Requirements tied to production are checked on site, even in a blended audit. In practice, an auditor spends much of the visit watching the lines and testing whether records match what happens.
The checks below are AGS's practical reading of the fundamental clauses, not BRCGS wording. Confirm each one against the Standard.
- Traceability (3.9): the site tests its system at least once a year, including a quantity check, and should be able to trace within four hours. Expect the auditor to pick a batch and time you.
- Allergens (5.3): a raw material assessment, a list of allergen-containing materials on site, a cross-contact risk assessment and validated cleaning. Rework and "may contain" labelling decisions must have a documented basis.
- Labelling and pack control (6.2): documented line clearance checks before start-up and at every product change. Only the packaging in immediate use should be at the packing line.
- Layout and hygiene (4.3 and 4.11): product flow, segregation of risk zones and cleaning standards seen during the walk-round.
- Training (7.1): staff on the line can explain the controls they apply, and training records prove competence.
When is Issue 10 expected and what should sites do now?
BRCGS opened a public consultation on Issue 9 on 9 January 2026, and it closed on 15 February 2026. A technical working group began meeting on 1 April 2026 and expects 12 to 14 meetings over about 12 to 15 months, according to the BRCGS working group announcement. BRCGS has not announced a publication date or a first audit date for Issue 10.
Until BRCGS publishes Issue 10 and its transition rules, every audit is to Issue 9 plus the current position statements. Build your system to those, not to draft wording you may see quoted. When Issue 8 was replaced, certificates already issued stayed valid for the period shown on them. Wait for BRCGS to confirm the rules for Issue 10.
If your customers accept other GFSI-recognised schemes, compare FSSC 22000 versions 6 and 7 or IFS Food version 8. Warehouses that store food without processing it may need BRCGS Storage and Distribution instead.
How AGS can help
The BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety, Issue 9 kit contains 195 documents. They include a food safety and quality manual, 7 policies, 50 procedures and SOPs, a HACCP plan set, 89 forms and records, 8 checklists and 9 training modules. A clause-wise Issue 9 compliance checklist and document compliance matrix cross-reference the documents to the Standard. Files are editable Microsoft Word, plus one Excel matrix.
Frequently asked questions
Is BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 still valid in 2026?
Yes. Issue 9 is the edition in use for all audits, together with the F926 position statements effective from 10 August 2026. Issue 10 is still being written.
What is the difference between BRC and BRCGS?
They refer to the same programme. BRCGS is a trading name of BRC Trading Ltd, and the standard began about 30 years ago as a common standard for UK retailers. Many buyers still say "BRC".
Does a BRCGS audit include unannounced visits?
Yes. Sites in the announced programme have at least one unannounced audit every three years. Sites can also join the voluntary unannounced programme every year.
Does buying documentation mean the site will be certificated?
No. Documents are a starting point. Certification depends on how the system runs and on the certification body's audit findings.
AGS provides independent documentation toolkits. This guide and the referenced kit are prepared to support BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety requirements. They are not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by BRCGS or any certification body, and they do not guarantee any certification outcome.
Reviewed October 2026. Facts checked against the sources current at publication.
