Case Study

Swedish Regulator rewards sites with BRCGS Certification

The Swedish Food Agency, Livsmedelsverket, is the competent authority responsible for the supervision and enforcement of food safety regulations. It works to ensure that food produced, sold and served in Sweden is safe and authentic.

The Agency has introduced a new risk classification model for assessing how much public control a company in the food sector should receive. They do this by identifying and assessing the greatest risks and adapting the level of control based on their risk profile. The new model recognises that independent third-party certification can result in improved compliance, and therefore a means to ensure that food manufactured into the market in Sweden is safe for consumers.

The new model recognises the BRCGS Food Safety, Agents and Brokers, and Storage and Distribution Standards. They meet the agency requirements to qualify for reduction of official control as they have a focus on food safety and hygiene, and that they are covered by accreditation. The benefit for food operators certified to one of these standards is that they will qualify as a reduced risk and be subject to a lower level of control during the five-year inspection cycle. This will save time in terms of freeing up resource for the inspection, as well as cost reduction in the form of paying for fewer inspections.

Further information is available from Swedish Regulator rewards sites with BRCGS Certification | BRCGS and Livsmedelsverket’s website.