A practical, step-by-step checklist for verifying BRCGS Food Safety certificates for Indonesian vegetable packing and processing. We cover directory lookups, scope wording, category mapping, grades, expiry checks, Agents & Brokers vs site certificates, and red flags we’ve actually seen.
If you buy vegetables from Indonesia, the most expensive mistake you can make is accepting a BRCGS PDF at face value. We’ve stopped more than one shipment from being rejected by using the exact verification system below. It takes 15 minutes when you know what to look for. And it’s the difference between a smooth first order and a costly scramble.
The 3 pillars of bulletproof BRCGS verification
- Authenticity. Confirm the certificate exists in the official BRCGS Directory and is active. Don’t rely on email attachments.
- Scope fit. The scope statement and product category must match your products and the site’s actual processes. “Packing house” is not the same as “fresh-cut.”
- Status and timing. Grade, audit program, and expiry/audit dates must align with your retailer or brand requirements.
That’s the framework we use on every supplier, from whole Tomatoes to IQF Frozen Paprika (Bell Peppers) - Red, Yellow, Green & Mixed.
Week 1–2: Do the desk checks in the official BRCGS Directory
Here’s the fastest way to check a certificate online.
- Ask for the essentials.
- Certificate number, standard (Food Safety), site name and address, audit grade, issue date, expiry date, and scope statement. If they only send a broker certificate when you’re buying packed or processed veg, pause and dig deeper.
- Verify in the BRCGS Directory.
- Go to the BRCGS Directory. Search by certificate number or company name. Filter by “Food Safety” and country “Indonesia.”
- Match exactly: site legal name, site address, standard and Issue (Issue 9 for Food Safety), certificate status (Active, not Suspended/Withdrawn), audit grade (A, AA, or AA+ for unannounced), and audit program (announced vs unannounced). Many retailers now prefer unannounced audits, which show as a “+” grade.
- Cross-check the document against the listing.
- Does the PDF grade match the directory? Are dates identical? Does the certification body (CB) on the PDF match the CB listed online? If anything is off, ask for an explanation from the CB in writing.
What’s interesting is how often small mismatches reveal big problems. We’ve seen “copy-paste” PDFs where the scope mentions cooked meals, but the directory shows a fruit-and-veg site. That’s a red flag of either an old template or worse.
Quick takeaways you can use today:
- Only trust a certificate if it appears in the BRCGS Directory with “Active” status.
- Confirm it’s Food Safety Issue 9 for the physical site that packs or processes your product.
- AA or AA+ is ideal for supermarket supply. A is workable for many buyers. Below A invites scrutiny or restrictions.
Need help confirming a certificate screenshot or a certificate number that won’t appear in the directory? Share it and we’ll sanity-check it with you. Contact us on whatsapp.
Week 3–6: Validate scope language and category mapping against your product list
This is where many buyers slip. The scope statement must describe the actual operations and products you’re buying.
What category applies to washed and packed vegetables?
- Whole or minimally processed veg. Look for “washing, grading, and packing of whole vegetables.” This typically maps to the BRCGS Food Safety product category for fruit and vegetables. We apply this to items like Japanese Cucumber (Kyuri), Onion, and Red Radish when they are washed and packed whole.
What about fresh-cut, peeled, or ready-to-eat veg?
- Fresh-cut and peeled. Scope should explicitly mention “peeling, slicing, shredding, washing, dewatering, and packing,” sometimes including “modified atmosphere packaging.” These activities are not the same as a simple packing house. Think baby romaine hearts or shredded lettuce destined for salad kits. That’s a different category from whole veg. If you’re buying pre-cut Baby Romaine (Baby Romaine Lettuce) or batonnets of Carrots (Fresh Export Grade), the site must be certified for those processes.
Where do frozen and IQF vegetables sit?
- IQF and blanched products. The scope should read along the lines of “receipt of vegetables, blanching, IQF freezing, packing and cold storage.” That’s typically under the prepared produce category. We apply this to Premium Frozen Okra, Premium Frozen Sweet Corn, and Frozen Mixed Vegetables. If the scope only says “packing,” it’s not enough for IQF.
Actionable nuance from experience:
- If a site handles both fresh-cut and whole veg, both activities and both categories should appear. If only one appears, the other is out of scope even if the plant physically does it.
- Brand owners sometimes confuse their Agents & Brokers certificate with Food Safety. The former covers trading controls, not the hygiene of washing, slicing, or freezing. If the site touches product, you need the site’s Food Safety certificate.
Is an Agent & Broker certificate enough?
- It’s enough only when the company is purely an intermediary without physical handling or storage that changes the product status. The moment product is washed, graded, packed, fresh-cut, or frozen under their control, you need the Food Safety certificate for that site. In 3 out of 5 escalations we’ve seen, the solution was getting the packing house’s certificate rather than relying on the broker’s.
Request these documents to close the loop:
- The current Food Safety certificate for the site. The summary of non-conformities or audit report cover page. A product list linked to the certificate scope. Any exclusions. Planned next audit date. You don’t always get the full report, but the summary page helps align expectations.
Week 7–12: On-site reality checks and ongoing monitoring
Once you’re close to awarding business, verify that what’s on paper exists on the floor.
- Remote or on-site walk-through. Confirm site address signage and production zoning match the certificate. For washed lettuce like Loloroso (Red Lettuce), check sanitizer dosing controls, water changeovers, and chilled holding. For IQF lines like Premium Frozen Potatoes or bell peppers, confirm blanching, rapid cooling, metal detection, and foreign-body controls align with Issue 9 expectations.
- Traceability test. Pick a lot and ask them to trace back to intake and forward to finished goods within a set time. We expect robust sites to respond within 4 hours.
- Calendar the dates. Create reminders 60 and 30 days before certificate expiry. Issue 9 expects solid management of change. If the CB, grade, or scope changes, re-approve before shipping.
The 5 biggest mistakes that kill supplier approvals
- Accepting an Agents & Brokers certificate when the site actually packs or processes. It doesn’t cover product hygiene controls.
- Ignoring scope wording. “Packing” isn’t the same as “peeling and slicing.” If it’s not written, it’s not covered.
- Overlooking expiry and audit program. Many retailers prefer AA or AA+. A B or C grade will trigger extra hoops or outright rejection.
- Not matching the site address. Suppliers sometimes send a head-office certificate while the goods are packed elsewhere.
- Failing to spot a fake. We’ve seen fuzzy logos, missing CB contact info, inconsistent fonts, and grades like “AAA” that don’t exist. If the certificate isn’t in the BRCGS Directory, walk away.
Quick answers to questions buyers ask
How do I verify a supplier’s BRCGS certificate in the official directory?
Search the BRCGS Directory by certificate number or company name, filter to Food Safety and Indonesia, and confirm an Active status. Match site name, address, scope, grade, dates, and CB.
What BRCGS product category applies to washed and packed vegetables?
Whole, washed, and packed vegetables map to the fruit-and-vegetable category. Fresh-cut, peeled, or shredded veg map to the prepared produce category. Your scope statement should mirror the actual processes.
Is an Agent & Broker certificate enough if the vegetables are processed or packed?
No. It only covers trading controls. Any physical handling that changes the product or its packaging requires the site’s Food Safety certificate.
What audit grade should I require for supermarket supply (A or AA)?
We recommend AA or AA+ if you supply major retailers. A can be acceptable for many programs. Below A typically triggers additional risk assessments or non-approval.
How do I check if the certificate covers the correct site and scope?
Match the site address in the certificate and directory, then read the scope word-for-word against your intended products and processes. Look for verbs: washing, grading, packing, peeling, slicing, blanching, IQF, etc.
Does BRCGS include farm-level controls, or do I need GLOBALG.A.P. too?
BRCGS Food Safety is post-harvest at the site. For farm-level assurance, many buyers also require GLOBALG.A.P. or equivalent. We pair farm assurance with site certification when sourcing field-grown veg.
How do I spot fake or misused BRCGS certificates?
If it’s not in the directory, treat it as invalid. Watch for mismatched addresses, odd grades, typos, missing CB contact info, or scopes that don’t fit your product. When in doubt, email the CB to confirm.
Where this matters most in 2025
Retailers and foodservice groups have tightened checks on unannounced audits and scope accuracy. We’re also seeing more certificates with QR codes and easier directory validation. The upside is speed. A clean, current, AA-grade site with a tight scope will get onboarded faster and faces fewer customer audits.
If you want examples of well-scoped products, browse our range of whole and prepared vegetables, from fresh Japanese Cucumber (Kyuri) and Baby Romaine (Baby Romaine Lettuce) to IQF lines like Premium Frozen Sweet Corn and Frozen Mixed Vegetables. You’ll see how we align product and process with the right certification. View our products.
Practical last word: don’t overcomplicate this. Ten minutes in the directory, five minutes reading the scope, and a calendar reminder before expiry will prevent 90% of certificate headaches. For the remaining 10%—the corner cases and close calls—we’re happy to compare notes and validate the details with you.