Vikan & BRC – working in partnership to promote food safety

Cleaning is a critical step in the maintenance of safe food production. Not suprising then that Vikan actively supports the BRC in the promotion of their food safety audit scheme, the largest of the GFSI approved schemes, Worldwide. From London to the USA Vikan are working in partnership with BRC to promote food safety. Deb Smith, Vikans Global Hygiene Specialist, shares why and how.

The British Retail Council (BRC) have come a long way since their original conception. Back in 1992 I doubt they ever thought that, as they prepare to launch Issue 8 of their Global Standard for Food Safety, they would be the operator of the largest GFSI approved food safety audit scheme in the World.

On 22 February 2018 the BRC will hold its 3rd annual conference on food Safety at The Crystal, Royal Victoria Docks, London.

This one-day conference provides a cutting-edge agenda that will feature presentations from food safety experts, to deliver invaluable insights and constructive knowledge, designed to improve European food safety management in retail, food service and manufacturing environments.

Cleaning is a critical step in the maintenance of food safety. Not surprising then that Vikan are actively supporting the BRC at this event through sponsorship, an exhibition and a joint presentation on GFSI requirements for cleaning tools. The presentation will be given by food safety experts from Vikan and Eurofins, and combines essential audit compliance information together with an informal interactive quiz.

This is the latest in a series of events at which Vikan has supported the BRC. In 2015 the BRC launched Issue 7 of its Global Standard for Food Safety. New to this issue was the requirement for cleaning tools to be of ‘Hygienic design’. At the same time, Vikan launched its Ultra Safe Technology (UST) brushware, a series of cleaning brushes developed in line with European Hygienic Engineering Design Group (EHEDG) hygienic design principles, thus offering the food industry BRC audit compliant brushware.

In 2016 Vikan co-sponsored a joint Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) / EHEDG Conference to raise awareness of hygienic design and of the BRC audit requirement. Following on from the success of this first event, a second was arranged in 2017 and held at Campden BRI, also supported by Vikan.

Vikan have also supported at other BRC events held at Campden BRI, through exhibiting and presenting, and in 2017, when the BRC launched its food safety partnership scheme, Vikan were among the first to joint.

As a scientist with a passion for food safety I am proud to support the BRC and I am constantly engaged, with the support of Vikan, in the promotion of their audit scheme and hygienic design.

In 2018 I will present on these topics at numerous international food safety events including the International Association for Food Safety (IAFP) conferences in Sweden and the USA, and the BRC Food Safety event in London in March. Vikan are also Gold sponsors of the EHEDG World Congress, held this year at Excel, London.

If you would like to know more about the BRC Food Safety, IAFP and EHEDG World Congress events, and about Vikan's involvement, please see the following links.

Vikan at BRC's Food Safety Europe 2018

Vikan Events 2018