Is BRCGS mandatory?
No. BRCGS Food Safety is not a legal requirement in the Netherlands. It is a voluntary certification scheme that a buyer, retailer or brand owner can set as a requirement. The scheme is recognised by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative), as MyGFSI shows, so many buyers accept it as evidence of food safety. Whether it is mandatory for you depends on your customers, your contracts and the markets you supply.
You are therefore not legally required to hold BRCGS, but you can lose business without a certificate. First check who your buyers are and what their purchasing terms say. The BRCGS hub gives the overview, and the scope page helps you determine what you would need to certify.
In practice, “mandatory” means that a customer asks for it in writing. A spoken remark or a question at a trade fair is not yet a requirement. So always ask for the requirement on paper.
Where the requirement comes from
| Source of the requirement | Example | How to recognise it |
|---|---|---|
| Purchasing terms of a retailer | A supermarket chain only wants suppliers with a GFSI certificate | Stated in the supplier rules or the purchasing portal |
| Contract with a brand owner | A private label contract names a specific scheme and grade | Stated in the agreement or an annex |
| Export market or importer | An importer in another country asks for a recognised certificate | Shown in a request or a supplier questionnaire |
| Your own choice | You want a stronger position or want to win a tender | Stated in your own business case |
| Legal basis | Your food safety system must be based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) principles | Set out in Article 5 of Verordening (EG) 852/2004 (EU food hygiene regulation) . BRCGS is not the source here |
The last row matters. A HACCP system is legally required, but BRCGS is not. Read the HACCP page for what is legally required.
An example from practice
A hypothetical bakery supplies fresh bread to a regional supermarket chain. The chain’s purchasing terms require a GFSI-recognised certificate for all production sites that work for the chain. Without a certificate, the chain drops the bakery at the next tender round. With a certificate, the bakery must include the whole production site in the scope, including the lines that work for other customers.
That example shows what matters. The requirement is commercial and contractual. It determines which site and which products must appear on the certificate, and from which date.
How to record the requirement in writing
Send your customer a short question with four points. That way you know exactly what is expected, and you can later prove what was agreed.
- Which scheme is required: BRCGS Food Safety, or is another GFSI scheme also acceptable?
- Which level or grade is expected, and from which date?
- Which sites and which products fall within the requirement?
- What happens if you do not meet the requirement: a delay, a temporary exception, or ending the relationship?
If the answer to question 1 is “any GFSI scheme”, you have more choice than you think. Then compare the schemes on BRCGS versus IFS and FSSC 22000, BRCGS and IFS side by side.
What you must arrange by law
Certification is separate from your legal obligations. A BRCGS certificate does not replace a licence, a registration or a HACCP system. An inspector from the Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit (NVWA, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) looks at the legal basis, not at your certificate. If that basis is in order, the step to a voluntary certificate is smaller.
The wider context of the certification field is also on the ISO 22000 hub. It shows how food safety systems relate to one another.
Frequently asked questions
Is BRCGS mandatory for export?
That depends on the country and the buyer. In many cases an importer or retailer asks for a recognised scheme, but a legal obligation for export does not follow from that. Ask the importer to confirm the requirement in writing.
Can I supply without BRCGS?
Yes, if your buyers do not require a certificate and you comply with the legal rules. But every new customer that does require it would be excluded. So decide which risk you find acceptable.
Do I need to hire a consultant to meet the requirement?
No. It is not mandatory. A consultant can help, but the choice depends on your own knowledge and capacity. Read the costs page for what you need to budget, with or without help.