Unannounced BRCGS audit: rules and preparation

An unannounced BRCGS audit checks whether your controls work without a special preparation moment. The BRCGS079 protocol describes the relevant audit options and grading. MyGFSI states that, for BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9, there is a voluntary unannounced route and at least one mandatory unannounced audit every three years within the relevant programme.

The exact schedule, exceptions and audit duration depend on the current protocol version, your scope and your certification body. F926 , which applies from 10 August 2026, is an Issue 9 update. It does not replace the general audit protocol. Read the BRCGS hub and the audit results page for the wider context.

A hypothetical factory has planned a maintenance shutdown in September. Management reports the situation to the certification body under the agreed arrangements. It keeps staff, records and critical processes accessible while the site is operating. This example does not mean a shutdown is approved automatically.

1. Know the rules

Read the audit option in your certification and customer agreements. Keep the current protocol version, the contact details of the certification body, and the arrangements for planned shutdowns, maintenance or exceptional circumstances. If you are unsure, ask for a written answer in advance.

Also do not confuse an unannounced audit with a random inspection. The auditor works within the BRCGS programme, your scope and an audit plan that you do not need to know in advance.

2. Reach the right people

Make a contact schedule for management, the quality lead, production, the technical department and the warehouse. Make sure every shift knows who receives the auditor and where the current documents are kept. An absent quality manager must not make the whole control system impossible to find.

Practise the first thirty minutes. Who signs in the auditor, who accompanies them, who opens the production area and who oversees production? Keep the exercise small and practical.

3. Records up to date

An unannounced audit can review the records of an ordinary production day. So check daily that temperature readings, cleaning, glass and hard plastic checks, maintenance, deviations and release are completed. A logbook filled in afterwards is not reliable audit preparation.

Link each deviation to a decision. If a check falls outside its limit, it must be clear that the product was blocked, the cause was investigated and the release is justified.

4. Show production

Give access to relevant areas, staff, processes and samples within your safety and hygiene rules. Give the auditor factual explanations and point out where evidence is kept. Do not hide a temporary deviation. Show how you handle it.

Use the standard requirements guide for an internal walkthrough, and food fraud versus food defence for deliberate risks. The audit assesses the site within its defined scope.

The obligation or option for an unannounced audit follows from the applicable BRCGS programme and protocol. Ask your certification body which route applies to your certificate.

A good internal audit is the best preparation for an unexpected check. Plan one according to BRCGS audit: internal audit before your certification audit.

Frequently asked questions

Will I get no warning at all?

With an unannounced route, the audit is not scheduled in advance like an ordinary appointment. The rules for access, shutdowns and exceptional circumstances are set out in the current protocol.

How do I prepare staff?

Train staff to explain their own process, report deviations and find records. Do not give them a script with preferred answers. That does not help if daily practice is different.

Is F926 the same as the unannounced audit?

No. F926 contains Issue 9 position statements that apply from 10 August 2026. The BRCGS079 protocol covers the audit route and grading.