The START! program has been developed to complement the BRCGS for Food Safety. As certification to Food safety continues to develop, it’s important to provide opportunities to recognize and encourage the development of food safety systems in small sites where the full requirements of the Standard may not always be practical or add value, and in sites that are still developing food safety management systems.

The START! program is aligned with the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Global Markets program. The START! program will enable audits and certification against two levels of requirements: basic and intermediate.

The BRCGS START! program is not a certification scheme and does not require accreditation.

The basic and intermediate level requirements of the START! program provides recognized stepping stones towards eventual certification to the full Standard (if required). They also assure customers about the food safety systems operating at those supply sites that have gained certification at either of these two levels.

SCOPE OF THE START! PROGRAMME

The START! program sets out the requirements for the manufacture of processed foods and the preparation of primary products supplied as retailer-branded products, branded food products, and food or ingredients for use by food service companies, catering companies and food manufacturers.

The audit and certification will apply only to products that have been manufactured or prepared at the site where the audit has taken place and will include storage facilities that are under the direct control of the production site management.

The program does not apply to food products that do not undergo any process at the audited site, or to activities relating to wholesale, importation, distribution or storage outside the direct control of the company.

BENEFITS OF THE START! PROGRAMME

Adoption of the program leads to several benefits for food businesses. The program:

• improves brand reputation through the use of BRCGS logos to promote your products;
• is fully aligned with Food Safety Issue 9 and provides a clear roadmap to full certification;
• has two levels to suit your size, maturity and need;
• public listing on BRCGS Directory, the tool that brands and retailers use for supplier selection;
• It requires completion of corrective actions on any non-conformities before certification, reducing the need for customers to follow up audit reports;

Certima is an accredited third-party certification body, and through on-site pre-assessments and value-added food safety audits, Certima supports the process of capacity building.

Certima B.V. has built a strong reputation over nearly two decades as a trusted, competent and efficient certification body for the BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety. We are here to help you stay compliant, reduce risks, operate safely and grow confidently.

If you are ready to explore how Certima can help you achieve certification and enhance your business’s credibility, visit: https://certima.org/offer/ .