GMP — Good Manufacturing Practice
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) sets the baseline hygiene, process-control and quality requirements for facilities producing food, feed, cosmetics or related products. It's the foundational layer that many higher-level certifications — including GMP+ FSA, FSSC 22000 and BRC — are built on top of.
What GMP covers
GMP requirements apply to the physical facility, the equipment used, the people working in it, and the documentation trail behind every batch produced. In practice, this covers areas such as:
- Facility design, layout and hygienic zoning to prevent cross-contamination
- Equipment cleaning, calibration and maintenance schedules
- Personnel hygiene practices, training and protective clothing requirements
- Raw material handling, storage conditions and traceability records
- Batch documentation, record-keeping and recall procedures
- Pest control and general facility sanitation programmes
Because GMP focuses on the fundamentals of hygienic, controlled production, it's often the starting point before pursuing a more comprehensive scheme like FSSC 22000, BRC, or a sector-specific standard such as GMP+ FSA for animal feed.
Benefits of GMP Certification.
GMP certification builds the hygienic, well-documented foundation that protects your product quality and sets you up for higher-level certification down the line.
A solid foundation
GMP establishes the baseline hygiene and process discipline that higher-level schemes like FSSC 22000, BRC and GMP+ FSA build directly on top of.
Fewer quality incidents
Structured cleaning, calibration and documentation practices catch problems before they reach a customer, reducing costly recalls and rework.
Buyer-ready documentation
Clear batch records and traceability give buyers and auditors confidence in your production process from day one.