Hydrocolloids, BRCGS Audits and Process Investment

Key developments for food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers and quality assurance as at 11 August 2026

Executive summary: 

New EU specifications for six widely used thickeners and stabilisers become applicable in one week; conditions of use are also changing for certain products for infants and young children. Since 10 August, BRCGS-certified businesses have been audited against updated Position Statements. Meanwhile, the GEA figures presented today indicate continued willingness to invest in dairy processing and food, but do not constitute a market report for the industry as a whole.

Hydrocolloids: new specifications apply from 18 August

Amended EU specifications apply from 18 August 2026 to locust bean gum (E 410), guar gum (E 412), gum arabic (E 414), xanthan gum (E 415), pectins (E 440) and starch sodium octenyl succinate (E 1450). Among other changes, the Regulation lowers limits for toxic elements, adds cadmium limits and microbiological criteria, and refines other purity requirements. Conditions of use for carrageenan (E 407) and the listed hydrocolloids in milk-based drinks for young children, infant formula and foods for special medical purposes are also being adjusted. Guar gum, for example, is being removed from infant formula and certain products for infants; product-specific transitional arrangements apply to other uses. [1]

For the wider food sector, the operational vulnerability lies less in formulation than in raw-material approval. A previously accepted supplier data sheet or certificate of analysis does not automatically demonstrate compliance with the specification applicable from 18 August. What matters is whether the specific additive was placed on the market in time and which legal requirements the approval document reflects. Additives lawfully placed on the market before the cut-off date may generally continue to be used until stocks are exhausted; foods manufactured from them may be marketed until the end of their shelf life. Different transitional periods apply to certain products for infants and young children. [1]

This creates a clear distinction between existing stock and newly marketed material. Purchasing, Regulatory Affairs and quality assurance do not need a blanket replacement of all hydrocolloids, but they do need a traceable link between goods received, specification version and transitional provision. For material first placed on the market from the cut-off date, approval should expressly refer to the new purity and microbiological criteria.

BRCGS: updated Position Statements now apply to audits

Updated BRCGS Position Statements for Food Safety Issue 9, Packaging Materials Issue 7, Storage and Distribution Issue 4, and Agents and Brokers Issue 3 have applied since 10 August. [2] [3] They are not statutory obligations, but BRCGS treats them as binding extensions of the relevant standard. For Agents and Brokers, clarifications include the relationship between prerequisite programmes and hazard analysis, and the chemical, microbiological, physical and allergen data expected in product specifications. Additions to the packaging standard include competence in the product defence process and validation and verification of cleaning procedures. [2]

For manufacturing sites certified to Food Safety Issue 9, protective clothing requirements now include suitable protective footwear where necessary to prevent product contamination. The Position Statement requires such footwear to be provided and worn. [3] The technically significant issue is not buying another item of equipment, but establishing a robust link between hazard assessment, hygiene arrangements, zoning and actual use. Businesses with an upcoming audit must therefore apply the version relevant to their certification scope; a purely formal handbook update is unlikely to suffice where practice differs.

GEA: food and dairy drive order intake

GEA reports second-quarter order intake of €1.495 billion, up 14.2 per cent on the corresponding prior-year quarter; organic growth was 15.4 per cent. According to the company, revenue rose by 10.0 per cent to €1.443 billion. The equipment manufacturer identifies dairy farming, dairy processing and food as strong drivers of order intake. At the half-year end, the order backlog was 13.1 per cent above the prior-year level; GEA also raised its full-year guidance. All figures and market characterisations are company statements. [4]

The figures establish neither an industry-wide investment boom nor a particular technological shift. They do, however, provide a credible signal that major processing and modernisation projects continue to be awarded despite a challenging cost environment. For manufacturers, this increases the value of early technical clarity: utility requirements, hygienic design, cleaning regimes, product changeovers, automation interfaces and acceptance criteria must be defined consistently before an order is placed. As system suppliers’ order backlogs grow, subsequent changes become more costly in scheduling as well as technical terms.

Wishing you a successful week, Andreas Gebhart

Sources

All sources last checked and accessed on 10 August 2026.

1. VO (EU) 2026/196, Art. 1–4, Anh. I–II.
2. BRCGS: Key Changes – Position Statements, Stand 22. Mai 2026.
3. BRCGS: F926 Position Statements for Food Safety Issue 9, Position Statement 4, wirksam ab 10. August 2026.
4. GEA: Zweites Quartal 2026 – Auftragseingang, Umsatz und Profitabilität, Unternehmensmitteilung vom 10. August 2026.

Note: This article provides professional information and does not constitute legal advice. The specific product, target market and legislation in force at the time of the decision are decisive. Image: AI-generated.