BRCGS Gluten Free

The BRCGS Gluten-Free Certification Programme is the market-leading program. It defines clear requirements for the production of gluten-free foods.

The standard is based on a comprehensive management system approach and provides manufacturers with a framework to help them produce gluten-free foods that meet regulatory requirements.

In Europe and many other countries, the incidence of coeliac disease (CD) in the general population is about 1% and is growing continously. As a result, consumers‘ need for gluten-free foods is increasing, resulting in a wider range and quantity of gluten-free foods in demand by the food industry.

The program:

• provides a single standard and protocol that governs an accredited audit by external certification bodies and enables a credible, independent assessment of a company‘s product safety and quality systems.
• allows consumers to safely identify gluten-free foods.
• lets consumers benefit from increased confidence in their purchases, greater availability and more choice.
• when used correctly, provides a site‘s gluten-free management system (GFMS) which is very high protection against failures
• enable market expansion by increasing the availability of gluten-free products that meet legal requirements.
• offers a range of audit options, including announced and unannounced audit programs.
• enables a listing in the publicly accessible BRCGS Global Standards Directory after successful certification.

• All manufacturing and packaging stages of the supply chain from primary processing to agriculture to the manufacturers of end-use products.
• Companies that produce private label products and/or customers‘ own label products or that process and package food products on behalf of customers.
• Manufacturers who are either completely gluten-free or produce gluten-free foods in a factory that also produces foods containing gluten.
• Manufacturers who want to use recognized gluten-free logos for their products

The standard is divided into 9 sections:

• Commitment of the Management Board
• Prescribed programs
• Gluten control
• HACCP Principles
• Records
• Document control
• Validation
• Gluten-free Management System (GFMS)
• Internal audits

There are several audit options:

• Independent audit
• Combined audit in conjunction with other audits of a third-party food safety management system, e.g. BRCGS food safety
• Unannounced combined audit

BRCGS Standards (Packaging Materials, Storage and Distribution, START!, Gluten-Free and CoC through BRCGS)