Why You Must implement the BRCGS Gluten-Free Certification in your food business
The BRCGS Gluten-Free certification is in high demand in North America because over 100 million of them are currently buying gluten-free products and the global gluten-free food market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 9.8% from 2022 to 2030 and in Europe including the United Kingdom.
The gluten-free products market is predicted to be worth $8.3 billion by 2025, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8.1% between 2020 and 2025. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of and wary about gluten in their diet and one in three are now avoiding or reducing intake. A number of challenges must be overcome to produce safe, reliable gluten-free foods that inspire consumer confidence. These exist throughout the supply chain, from preventing cross-contamination in the production process to branding products with a gluten-free trademark that retailers and most importantly, consumers, truly trust.
91% of consumers declare that their buying decisions are impacted by third-party verification and 76% prefer products certified by a recognised coeliac association.
BRGCS’s Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP) uses a scientifically proven, risk-based management systems approach for effectively controlling gluten and gluten cross-contamination from incoming ingredients to the final product. It goes further than simply carrying out end-product testing and can easily be combined with a Food Safety audit. It is recognised by leading coeliac organisations around the world covering Europe, the USA, Canada, and Mexico, meaning that sites that are BRCGS certified are also able to include these trusted marks on their products.
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought general rising health and wellness-related concerns into focus. Consumption of healthy food products to prevent health disorders, such as heart diseases, diabetes, obesity, chronic pulmonary disease, and metabolic syndrome are driving the growth of this market.
The global prevalence of the celiac disease is approximately 1% and rising. There is currently no cure for celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, nor is there any on the horizon. More recent science indicates that mere avoidance of gluten for sufferers is not enough, therefore the only mitigation or treatment is a strict gluten-free diet. Foods produced at sites certified to BRCGS’ Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP) will satisfy that essential need.
By participating in the Gluten-Free Certification Program, sites can communicate their commitment to producing safe, reliable, and trusted gluten-free products for consumers across the globe through the use of a range of six dedicated trademarks.
- AOECS Crossed-Grain trademark
- Canadian Celiac Association trademark
- Beyond Celiac (USA) trademark
- Acelmex (Mexico) trademark
- Acelmex Latin America trademark
- BRCGS’ Informed Gluten-Free trademark
Here are the top 9 benefits of implementing the GFCP in your facility.
- Fast-track access to a market that is growing at an exponential rate
- The ability to use a recognized national and recognized celiac/coeliac association on-pack trademarks that are trusted by consumers
- Certification for dedicated or non-dedicated supplier sites
- Operational efficiencies (combined audits) and reduced testing costs
- Reduced likelihood of product recalls or product rejections
- Expands potential for new business via listing in GFCP Site Directory
- Is used in North America (Canada and the United States of America) and Europe (including the UK)
- Around 250 approved Independent 3rd-party Auditing bodies across the world
- There are other food safety certifications, but this is like the “standard” if you want to export to companies like Tesco, Iceland, etc. They all demand a HACCP recognised food safety certification.
Finally, If you want more information about the BRCGS Gluten-Free Food Safety Certification, please review this guide here and also if you have any more questions, please reach out here.
