New food safety standard developed for smaller suppliers

A new food safety scheme is being developed to help small food and drink manufacturers meet customer requirements and comply with the law without spending a fortune on more comprehensive audit schemes.

Speaking at a seminar run by the Society of Food Hygiene Technology last week, British Retail Consortium (BRC) head of technical services Kevin Swoffer said: “Many small and regional suppliers don't need to have a full BRC audit, but they need something to reassure customers that they are doing what is reasonable to achieve continuous safe food status.”

He added: “The BRC is working with the British Hospitality Association, the Food and Drink Federation and the National Farmers' Union to form a contractual joint venture company to develop the scheme. We've got the support of the small business service and the Food Standards Agency and we're hoping to get some funding from DEFRA (Department for Environment, Foods and Rural Affairs).”

The scheme was ideal for regional producers of branded products, he said. “If you're supplying on a national basis, or doing own-label, then you probably should be looking at the full BRC audit; if you've got less than 10 staff and you're selling Cornish ice-cream to a handful of local retailers and foodservice outlets, this could be for you.”

The scheme should be piloted by mid-summer, he said. “We're currently working with the FSA and DEFRA to get the legal side sorted.”

Separately, the first draft of a new BRC storage and distribution standard should be ready by June, he said.