Scope of the BRC Consumer Products Standard

The BRC Consumer Products standard exists to give supplier companies a reference for demonstrating the due care expected by the consumer products market. A small number of items are excluded, including vitamins, bulk fuel, and live plants.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) designed the standard to help suppliers consistently deliver the quality levels that retailers demand through safe and legal manufacturing. In 1998, the BRC developed the Consumer Products technical standard, reflecting industry needs. The scheme's original purpose was to assess manufacturers producing own-label products for retailer partners. It supports retailers and brand owners in exercising appropriate care on safety and quality, and in establishing minimum hygiene benchmarks at the production site. To meet the scheme, supplier companies adapt their management systems against six main criteria.

The Consumer Products scope covers almost all consumer categories outside food, including toys, textiles, electrical goods, kitchenware, and DIY items. The following are excluded:

Services (banking, insurance, and similar)
Medicines dispensed by doctors
Food contact packaging
Live animals or pets
Vitamins and minerals
Flowers and plants
Bulk fuel
Motor vehicles

The standard is written to support factory assessments calibrated to the potential consumer harm of the product. Products are categorised into four risk levels, each with its own set of requirements.

The BRC Consumer Products scheme defines four requirement groups for a range of product categories. The number of requirements varies with the product group, but always covers the following areas:

Consumer product management system
Site environment standards
Product risk management
Process control
Product control
Personnel

If you are interested in our BRC Consumer Products certification consultancy at Sistem Patent Kalite, you may also be interested in ISO 9001 certification, with which the BRC management system requirements integrate naturally.