Should choose GAP standard or BRC standard?

Food safety has recently attracted much attention of numerous countries in the world. In the context of global integration, our country also focuses on producing solutions to implement food safety effectively.

One of solutions which are chosen by most of units and enterprises is the application GAP standard, BRC standard with a view to controlling and meeting business requirements of Association of Retailers teffectively.

1.  GAP Standard

GAP standard (Good Agricultural Practices) is the standard of world food safety program in World Food Business Forum taken place in May, 2000.

The goal of world food safety program is:

• To improve the quality of food safety.
• To develop customers' trust.
• To enhance effectiveness with a view to reducing costs in the whole food supply chain.
• To set down requirements in terms of separate standards to compare with food safety systems.

GAP has been established to control initial stages of farming and methods which ensure food provision meets demands for quality.  Besides, GAP regulates key factors to implement good farming practices for the production of farm products such as vegetables, fruits, seeds, seafood products, cattle, eggs, meat,...

If afore-mentioned products are expected to be bought in US, EU markets, producers need to apply GAP from production, farming; GMP standard and HACCP standard are processing stage, packing and transportation.

GAP forces units to analyse risks from water, soil, fertilizers, food,...all factors affecting animals and crops. This determination will help them to have control to reduce these risks.

If these stages: soil preparation, original environment, input to cultivation, farming and transportation.

GAP also requires workers to control farming and harvest time.

Main requirements of GAP:

• Equipment must be designed to be appropriate to its purpose, easy to use and clean. There is periodic assessment to establish plan-based control.
• Farming environment, garden, proper breeding ground, wastewater is not allowed to enter irrigation system.
• Plan for maintenance and compliance with sanitary standards are vital.
• Toilets for staff must be fully equipped.
• Some kinds of chemicals like: fertilizers, chemicals, petroleum, additives must be strictly controlled before being used.
• The quality of irrigation system has been regularly managed.
• There are detailed plans for management and wastewater treatment to prevent soil and water contamination.
• Pest control is established by capable organizations or trained staff.

1. BRC Standard

BRC (British Retail Consortium) is a standard of Association of UK Retailers. This standard was established to help retailers to meet and protect consumers from food problems by providing basic assessment about companies which provide retail foods.

BRC provides basic assessment about requirements concerning production matters and input material control. BRC requires companies to have HACCP certificate of production.

BRC provides demands to help you control product supply chain from input materials like seeds, crops, harvest and process to consumers (the last stage).

BRC sets down general requirements for agricultural inputs, not specifically and strictly as GAP standard.

One of benefits of the application of BRC standard is that it helps enterprises to ensure that their products meet standards of safety and are tightly controlled over food's origin and processing stages.  In addition, BRC standard helps enterprises to effectively control their products in management system. Reaching BRC standard means meeting customers' demands, which helps to increase in the level of consumption and boost productivity.  The cost of materials can simultaneously increase, standards of living of farmers can be improved.

1. Should choose GAP standard or BRC standard?

One similarity of two standards GAP or BRC is that their systems were managed to require companies' implementation.  BRC can be applied to companies in charge of agricultural food export and process if these companies must be certified HACCP. GAP is only for companies or cooperatives, farms which sell agricultural products to other processing units.

If you are researching in BRC, the following set of documents is necessary for your business application. KNA sends to you: Here