A practical, action-first decision guide from the Indonesia-Vegetables Team to help exporters, traders, and packhouses choose the right BRCGS standard, pick the correct product category, and write a clean, audit-ready scope statement in minutes.
If you only take one thing from this article, let it be this. Ninety percent of delays and re-scopes in BRCGS projects come from picking the wrong standard or writing a vague scope. We have seen teams lose six weeks just fixing scope wording. The good news. You can get to the right answer in under an hour with a simple path and a few templates.
The fast way to decide which BRCGS standard you need
In our experience, Indonesian vegetable businesses fall into three buckets. What you do physically drives the standard you need.
- You run a packhouse that washes, grades, and packs whole vegetables. You need BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 for that site. Fresh whole veg is product category 04.
- You only buy and sell. You outsource packing or processing to certified partners. You need BRCGS Agents and Brokers (A&B) for the trading activity. Your contract packer should hold their own BRCGS Food Safety or another GFSI-recognized certificate.
- You operate a standalone cold store or distribution center. You need BRCGS Storage and Distribution (S&D) for that warehousing site. If the cold store is part of your packhouse site, you can include it in the Food Safety scope instead of taking a separate S&D.
Here is the thing. You can hold more than one certificate if your business has distinct activities and sites. Many exporters in Indonesia hold A&B at head office for trading and Food Safety at the packhouse.
As of 2026, current editions in use are Food Safety Issue 9, Agents and Brokers Issue 3, and Storage and Distribution Issue 4. Always confirm the latest edition on the BRCGS Directory before you brief a certification body.
Product category for whole vegetables: choose Category 04
For whole fresh vegetables packed for retail, foodservice, or further processing, select product category 04. That covers washing, grading, sizing, trimming, and packing of whole produce like Japanese Cucumber (Kyuri), Carrots (Fresh Export Grade), Red Cayenne Pepper, Onion, Red Radish, and Baby Romaine.
If you move into fresh-cut, ready-to-eat leaves or diced vegetables, you are usually in a ready-to-eat category and Food Safety still applies. Confirm the category with your certification body when fresh-cut is involved, since washing chemistry and ready-to-eat status influence the category.
If you only trade frozen vegetables or IQF products like Premium Frozen Edamame or Frozen Mixed Vegetables and do not physically process them, A&B can cover you. If you operate an IQF line yourself, that processing site will require Food Safety. The exact category depends on process and product status. Discuss it early with your auditor.
Quick decision path you can use today
Ask three questions in order. Stop when you get a yes.
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Do you physically process or pack the vegetables on your site? If yes, get Food Safety Issue 9 for that site. Include support activities like on-site cold storage in the scope.
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Do you buy and sell product but outsource all packing or processing to third parties? If yes, get Agents and Brokers. Ensure your contract packers hold BRCGS Food Safety or equivalent GFSI certification and that you approve and monitor them.
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Do you operate a separate storage or distribution facility that you control? If yes, consider Storage and Distribution for that site. If it is within the same premises and system as your packhouse, include it in the Food Safety scope instead.
Practical tip. Farms do not need BRCGS. For primary production, GLOBALG.A.P. IFA or an equivalent primary production scheme is generally acceptable to buyers and auditors. We request GLOBALG.A.P. from our farming partners before accepting products like Loloroso (Red Lettuce) and Beetroot (Fresh Export Grade).
Scope statement templates you can copy
Auditors look for clear boundaries. Who does what, where, and to which products. Use active verbs. Avoid marketing phrases.
Template 1. Packhouse (washing, grading, packing of whole veg)
- “Washing, grading, trimming, and packing of whole fresh vegetables including [PRODUCT TYPES] into [PACK FORMATS] at [SITE NAME], [CITY], Indonesia. Storage in on-site chilled rooms and dispatch to export and domestic markets. Exclusions. No fresh-cut or cooked products.”
Example with products
- “Washing, grading, trimming, and packing of whole fresh vegetables including cucumbers, carrots, chili, baby romaine, and onions into cartons and retail bags at PT [Company] Packhouse, Bandung, Indonesia. Storage in on-site chilled rooms and dispatch to export and domestic markets. Exclusions. No fresh-cut or cooked products.” You can mention representative lines like Japanese Cucumber (Kyuri), Carrots (Fresh Export Grade), Red Cayenne Pepper, Baby Romaine, and Onion without turning the scope into a product catalog.
Template 2. Trader using a contract packer
- “Purchase, import, and export trading of fresh vegetables. Supplier approval, product specifications, order management, and product release performed by [COMPANY NAME]. Packing and processing subcontracted to approved third-party sites. Physical possession does not occur at [COMPANY NAME] locations.”
Optional note to make audits smoother
- “Primary packers are certified to BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9. [COMPANY NAME] performs documented supplier approval and ongoing monitoring.”
Template 3. Exporter with own cold store
- “Receipt, chilled storage, order assembly, and distribution of ambient and chilled vegetables at [SITE NAME], [CITY], Indonesia. No packing or processing on site.” If the cold store is within your packhouse premises, add “Cold storage forms part of the Food Safety scope at this location.” If it is a separate standalone warehouse you operate, that is a clear Storage and Distribution scope.
If you want a quick sanity check on your wording, share your draft and your process map. We can usually spot scope gaps in ten minutes. If that would help, reach out via WhatsApp.
Common scope mistakes that slow audits
- Mixing trading and packing in one Food Safety scope when packing happens at a third-party site. Food Safety is site specific. Keep A&B for the trading entity and Food Safety for the physical site.
- Writing “all vegetables” without naming the process. Auditors want verbs. Washing, grading, packing, storage, distribution.
- Adding a contract packhouse as if it were your site. You can include it only if it is under your legal ownership and management system as a site. Otherwise they need their own certificate.
- Forgetting to include on-site cold rooms or blast chillers in the scope description. If you store product on site, say so.
- Choosing the wrong product category. Whole veg is Category 04. Fresh-cut and ready-to-eat usually moves categories. Ask your CB before you print artwork with the wrong category.
Quick answers to questions we get every week
Which BRCGS standard applies if I only buy and sell vegetables but use a third‑party packer?
Agents and Brokers. Your packer should hold BRCGS Food Safety or another GFSI-recognized certificate. You approve and monitor them.
What product category should I select for whole fresh vegetables?
Category 04 Fresh produce. It covers washing, grading, and packing of whole vegetables. If you make ready-to-eat fresh-cut, confirm the appropriate category with your CB.
How do I word the scope for washing, grading, and packing chili and green beans?
Use the packhouse template. “Washing, grading, trimming, and packing of whole fresh vegetables including chili and green beans into [PACK FORMATS] at [SITE], [CITY], Indonesia. Storage in on-site chilled rooms and dispatch to export and domestic markets.” If you handle lines like Red Cayenne Pepper, mention “chili” generically in the scope. You do not need to list every variety.
Can I include a contract packhouse under my certificate, or do they need their own BRCGS?
They need their own certificate. Your Food Safety certificate is site specific. You can manage contractors under your supplier approval program, but you do not cover their premises under your certificate unless it is your site.
Do I need both Food Safety and Storage & Distribution if I operate a cold store?
If the cold store is part of your packhouse site, include it in Food Safety. If you run a standalone warehouse for your own or third-party goods, S&D is the cleaner route. Some companies hold both. One Food Safety for the packhouse and one S&D for a separate DC.
Do farms supplying me need BRCGS, or is GLOBALG.A.P. acceptable?
GLOBALG.A.P. IFA is the norm for primary production. BRCGS does not apply at farm level. We require GLOBALG.A.P. from growers before taking produce like Baby Romaine or Loloroso (Red Lettuce).
Can multiple sites be covered under one BRCGS certificate?
Food Safety is issued per site. A&B can cover your trading activity centrally across multiple offices if the scope reflects that. S&D offers multi-site options under central management. Discuss sampling and eligibility with your CB.
Can one company hold separate BRCGS certificates for trading and packing activities?
Yes. Many exporters in Indonesia do exactly that. A&B for the head office trading entity. Food Safety for the packhouse. S&D for a separate warehouse if needed.
A realistic 12-week scoping plan for 2026
Week 1–2. Map your activities and sites. Draw the flow from farm to export. Decide whether you physically process, only trade, or store. Identify contract packers and cold stores. Collect supplier certificates, ideally BRCGS Food Safety or GLOBALG.A.P. where applicable.
Week 3–6. Draft the scope statement using the templates above. Confirm the product category. Shortlist certification bodies and send them your draft scope and site plan. Ask them to validate the standard and category before you commit. If you trade lines like Tomatoes, Purple Eggplant, or frozen items like Premium Frozen Sweet Corn, make sure your scope reflects what you actually do.
Week 7–12. Finalize standard selection per site. Lock the scope wording. Book the audit window. Start any prerequisite checks the CB requests, such as listing outsourced contractors and cold storage sites. This is also when we see importers ask for evidence. A crisp one-page scope with category 04 for whole veg saves a lot of emails.
Our last note. Buyers care about clarity. A precise scope tells them you know your process and your risks. If you want a second opinion before you contact certification bodies, send us your draft scope with a process map. We are happy to give practical feedback or point you to the right standard. If your questions are product specific, you can also browse our lines here. View our products.