The British Retail Consortium (BRC), was created by British retail distributors to guarantee the quality and safety of food; in addition to complying with the law in marketing related processes.
BRC is a quality management system that demonstrates compliance with food safety standards and allows us to guarantee a safe product for consumers.
There are a variety of standards within BRC that cover the entirety of the supply chain: packaging producers, packers, production facilities, storage areas, transportation, and the marketing activities that occur within the food chain.
The demand for food security is increasing every day, as consumers and authorities demand that the food being marketed offers high levels of quality and safety. In Latin America, BRC has had sustainable growth; especially in Peru, due to the demand of European importers.
Our Olam Andina Peru SAC plant has had this certification since 2018. Last year we were able to obtain the highest qualification for BRC; "AA" standard. The challenge of implementing this standard was something our team was excited to take on, as it increased opportunities to supply our products to various European markets. Olam Andina already had experience with a plethora of certifications, so adopting the BRC guidelines was relatively quick.
Currently, the company works with organizations that include 3,000 smallholders in the interior of the country, all of whom are certified under the scope of organic agriculture. BRC has improved the processes and knowledge of these smallholders and producers, who assume good practices in the field and in the warehouse. Thanks to these standards, they have learned to prioritize the issue of product safety and control at all stages and know the demands of the markets where their products are being sold.
Annually our company exports more than 6,000 MT between quinoa, chia and amaranth. Our main destinations are the United States (70%) of its exports, Europe (20%) and Asia (10%). All products are under BRC certification.
About the Author: Claudia Perez is the Head of Quality Control for Olam Superfoods. She manages the organic certifications of production fields in BRC and FSMA safety standards, as well as other certifications such as Gluten Free, Kosher, Ecosocial, and Fairtrade USA social certifications / SMETA Verification. She is also responsible for the grain quality of raw material and finished product of our export products.