Welcome to the fourth issue of the Consumer Products Standard. This Standard was first published in 2003 and since then it has undergone extensive changes to support the needs of the wide-reaching consumer products industry. Along the way it has developed into a robust Standard based on the principles of risk assessment and good manufacturing practice (GMP) to deliver safe, legal products of specified quality to the end-consumer.

Issue 4 brings a marked change in structure in the requirements, to reflect the needs of the market. It is composed of two new Standards: Personal Care and Household, and General Merchandise. Each Standard is composed of requirements that can be certificated at two levels: foundation and higher.

Personal Care and Household covers formulated and fabricated products which typically have higher hygiene requirements due to the nature and usage of products. Examples include cosmetics, medical devices, nappies, food wrap and household cleaners.

General Merchandise covers a wide range of mainly fabricated products where management of the production process to ensure the safety and quality of the products is the primary concern. Examples include electrical equipment, toys, furniture, textiles and jewellery.

It is a requirement that all suppliers undergoing a BRCGS audit to the Global Standard for Consumer Products Issue 4 have access to an official copy of this Standard.

Use of BRCGS intellectual property

Information on how you can use BRCGS Standards, guidance and published content can be found here. You can also find a list of answers to common question on how BRCGS content can be used here.