For smaller and mid-sized producers, the moment a large international buyer says “we’ll need a BRC or SMETA audit before we can move forward” is often the moment a promising deal stalls out — not because the product isn’t good, but because nobody on the producer side has been through one before.

What these audits actually check

BRC (British Retail Consortium Global Standard) is a food safety and quality certification that evaluates production facilities against a detailed standard covering hygiene, traceability, process control, and management systems. It’s frequently required by retailers and large food manufacturers, particularly in the UK and EU, before they’ll list a supplier’s product.

SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) is different in focus — it’s an ethical and social compliance audit, covering labor standards, health and safety, environmental practices, and business ethics rather than food safety specifically. Many large buyers require both: BRC for product safety assurance, SMETA for supply-chain ethics assurance.

Neither audit is a formality. Both involve a third-party auditor physically inspecting the facility, reviewing documentation, and interviewing staff — and both can result in a failed audit if the facility isn’t genuinely prepared, not just superficially tidied up for the visit.

Why this matters more than it seems

A producer can have excellent product quality and still lose a buyer relationship over audit failure, because for many international buyers — particularly retail chains and large food manufacturers — a passed audit isn’t optional documentation, it’s a prerequisite to being considered at all. This is often the actual bottleneck between “good product” and “export-ready supplier,” more than product quality itself.

How KATUNA prepares producers

This is a coordination and preparation role, not just a referral to an auditor:

  • Gap assessment before the audit is scheduled — identifying where current practices fall short of BRC or SMETA requirements while there’s still time to address them, not discovering gaps during the actual audit.
  • Documentation preparation — both standards require extensive paper (and increasingly digital) trails: traceability records, training logs, corrective action procedures. Producers who’ve never been through an audit often don’t know what documentation auditors expect to see.
  • Facility and process readiness — translating standard requirements into specific, practical changes at the plant or farm level.
  • Audit-day accompaniment — being present during the actual audit to support the producer through the process.

What this means for buyers

If you’re an international buyer requiring BRC or SMETA compliance as a condition of purchase, this preparation process is exactly why sourcing through KATUNA — rather than direct from an unprepared producer — reduces the risk of the relationship stalling at the audit stage instead of moving to a purchase order.

Starting the conversation

Producers considering export for the first time, or expanding into markets that require these certifications, can reach out to understand what a realistic preparation timeline looks like before committing to a buyer’s audit date.