BRCGS Consumer Products 5: Issue 5 Dates, Training and Support
By Robert Low, Lead Management System Specialist and BRCGS Approved Trainer
BRCGS Consumer Products 5 is the common way people search for Issue 5 of the BRCGS Global Standard Consumer Products, released on 13 October 2026. This page is my hub for everything about it: the dates, what to do next, my training and support, and a growing series of plain English posts that explain the new standard section by section.
BRCGS Consumer Products 5 at a Glance
Released: 13 October 2026.
Audits commence: 1 June 2027 (check the audit protocol in the published standard and with your certification body for the definitive date that applies to your site).
Training with me: remote Issue 5 training for sites and certification bodies starts in January 2027.
Published by: BRCGS, who own the standard. You can get it from BRCGS. Nothing here reproduces it.
Is Your Next Audit Issue 4 or Issue 5?
Enter the date of your last BRCGS Consumer Products audit and the date your next audit is due. This tool gives you a guide to which issue your next audit should fall under. It is a guide only, so always confirm in writing with your certification body.
This is a guide based on the Issue 5 audit start date of 1 June 2027. For announced audits the window is the 28 days before the due date. For the voluntary unannounced programme the audit can happen at any point in the 4 months before the due date. An audit taken before the window opens is an early audit and resets your due date. Your certification body has the final say on your dates.
Start Here
The first post in the series covers the release, the dates that matter and the support I am launching: BRCGS Consumer Products Issue 5 Launches Today: What It Means and How We Can Help.
BRCGS also ran a free launch webinar, Issue 5 Revealed: Key Changes, Expert Insights and What to Expect, with recordings in English, Spanish, Italian, Polish and Chinese.
Coming in This Series
Each post in the series explains one part of Issue 5 in plain English and gives you a named model to apply it on a real site. New posts appear below as they go live.
- BRCGS Consumer Products Issue 5 Changes: What Is New and What It Means for Your Site (The Three Clocks model)
- BRCGS Consumer Products Issue 5 Audit Protocol: Duration, Scope, Grades and Timelines (The SCAN model)
- BRCGS Consumer Products Issue 5 Traded Products: What Section 8 Means for Your Site (The All or Nothing Test)
- BRCGS Consumer Products Issue 5 HARA: Product and Process Risk Explained (The Two Gates model)
- BRCGS Consumer Products Issue 5 Management System: Culture, Reporting and Corrective Action (The Closed Loop Test)
- BRCGS Consumer Products Issue 5 Product Defence: Site Standards and Security Explained (The Three Doors Test)
Free Tools for Your Quality System
Alongside the series I am publishing a guide to each free tool on our resources page. They are useful for certification and just as useful for legal compliance, calibration and day to day control.
- UK Three Packers Rules Explained, With a Free Checker
- AQL Calculator: Free Sample Sizes and Accept Reject Points
- OEE Calculator: Free Tool and What a Good Score Really Means
- Gage R&R Calculator: Is Your Measuring System Good Enough?
- Process Capability Calculator: Cp and Cpk Made Simple
- SG Cup Calibration: How to Calibrate a Density Cup
- Tolerance Calculator: Set Min and Max Limits Without Errors
- Go / No-Go Checks: A Free Printable PASS or FAIL Tool
- DPMO Calculator: Work Out DPU, PPM and DPMO for Free
- I-MR Chart Limits: A Free Quick Calculator for Control Limits
- Barcode Checker: Free Tool to Check and Compare Barcodes
- Free QR Code Generator for Factories, Labels and Posters
- Julian Code Calculator: Convert Dates to Julian Batch Codes
- ISO Week Code Calculator: Convert Dates to Week Codes
- Takt Time Calculator: Match Your Line to Customer Demand
- Unit Converter for Manufacturing: Free Online Tool
- Torque Converter: Convert Torque Units and Estimate Preload
Frequently Asked Questions
What is BRCGS Consumer Products 5?
It is Issue 5 of the BRCGS Global Standard Consumer Products, the fifth issue of the standard used by manufacturers of consumer products such as personal care, household and other non-food goods. BRCGS released it on 13 October 2026.
When do audits against Issue 5 start?
Audits against Issue 5 commence on 1 June 2027. Audits before that date continue against Issue 4. Confirm your own audit date and which issue it falls under, in writing, with your certification body.
Do I need to do anything before January 2027?
Yes. Get the published standard, compare it with your current system, and plan your gap analysis and internal audits. Your evidence needs to exist before the auditor arrives. Training is useful, but it should not be the point where you start.
Can you help remotely?
Yes. Consultancy, site training, auditor and certification body training, and gap analysis are all delivered remotely. Our Cornerstone eQMS software is being updated to match Issue 5.
Is there a lead auditor course?
No. My Issue 5 auditor training is aimed at certification bodies and their auditors, not a lead auditor course.
BRCGS Consumer Products Issue 5
Issue 5 Training and Support Starts Here
Remote Issue 5 training for sites and certification bodies from January 2027, plus gap analysis, consultancy and software updated to match the standard, from a BRCGS Principal Trainer for Issue 5. Pick the button that fits you and it opens a pre-filled email to me.
The buttons open your email client with a short template. Nothing is sent until you press send.
A note on copyright and how this article was written
The BRCGS Consumer Products Standard, Issue 5 is the copyright of BRCGS (© BRCGS 2026), and all rights in it remain with BRCGS. This article does not reproduce or republish the standard. It is my own commentary and interpretation, written in my own words, to help readers think about what the requirements could mean in practice. Clause numbers and section names are used only as signposts.
This is not an official BRCGS publication and it does not replace the standard. My interpretations may differ from those of BRCGS or your certification body, so please read the official standard, which sites certificated to Issue 5 must hold an official copy of. You can get it from the BRCGS website, and you should confirm how it applies to your site, including your audit dates, with your certification body.
BRCGS is a trading name of BRC Trading Ltd. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
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