British Retail Consortium (BRC) technical director for food, David Brackston spoke to FoodManufacture.co.uk ahead of BRC's online publication of its draft of V6, & after the first trial audit using the new standard. "We did a lot of consultation last year, gathering feedback that informed our working groups. These included stakeholders such as the major retailers, food manufacturers, certification bodies & trade associations. Generally, people are happy with the content of the standard, but it is 3 years old, so it's fair to say that allergens, for instance, have now moved right up the agenda, while food safety issues have evolved," Brackston said, adding: "We have made a number of changes to the standard, but the key issue is the way it is used & audited against."
