What Allergen Control Group does

Allergen Control Group operates the BRCGS (Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards) Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP), the food industry's only ISO 17021-accredited gluten-free certification. The company's flagship standard, Global Standard Gluten-Free Issue 4 (released 2022), uses a scientifically proven, risk-based management systems approach to control gluten and gluten cross-contamination across the entire supply chain — from incoming ingredients through to final product — and is designed to be combined with BRCGS Food Safety audits. The standard is recognised by leading coeliac associations across Europe, the USA, Canada and Mexico, enabling certified sites to display trusted coeliac-association marks on-pack and leveraging consumer data showing 91% of buyers are influenced by third-party verification and 76% prefer coeliac-association-certified products.

The company monetises through multiple layers: certification fees routed via approved certification bodies and the LGC Assure participation portal; trademark licensing for the Gluten-Free mark on certified packaging; a training vertical (E-Learning, Classroom Learning, BRCGS Professional); and a digital solutions portfolio (Horizon, Directory Pro, Confidential Reporting, Food Safety Culture Excellence). Primary customers are food manufacturers and producers seeking verified gluten-free credentials to access the projected $8.3 billion (2025) gluten-free market growing at 8.1% CAGR. Distribution relies on a network of approved certification bodies, approved training partners, and BRCGS consultants.

Allergen Control Group / BRCGS Trading Ltd operates as a UK private limited company headquartered in Guildford, Surrey, under parent LGC Group. The business model is fundamentally recurring — certification renewals, trademark licensing, and training create annuity-like revenue — but no revenue, headcount, or funding figures are disclosed in the source material, and the company should be considered a data-thin assessment subject.

Name

Allergen Control Group

Legal name

BRC Trading Ltd

Website

https://allergencontrolgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Allergen Control Group operates the BRCGS Gluten-Free Certification Program, the only ISO 17021-accredited gluten-free certification for food manufacturers, recognized across Europe, USA, Canada, and Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Safety Certification

akta.pro primary industry

Gluten-Free & Allergen-Free Certification Services (AFALAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Safety & Quality Scheme Certifications (GFSI Programs) (AFALAMAI), Specialty Certification Services (Organic, Non-GMO, Halal, Kosher, Gluten-Free) (AFALAAAM), “Free-From” & Allergen-Free Claim Substantiation (e.g., gluten-free, peanut-free) (AFALAHAD)

Keywords

• Gluten-free certification
• Food allergen management
• Third-party certification
• Food safety standards
• Risk-based certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Milton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Allergen Control Group owns and operates the Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP), the food industry's only ISO 17021-accredited certification for gluten-free food production. The company delivers the Global Standard Gluten-Free (Issue 4), a scientifically proven, risk-based management systems approach for controlling gluten and gluten cross-contamination from incoming ingredients through to the final product. The standard is recognised by leading coeliac organisations across Europe, USA, Canada and Mexico, allowing certified sites to display trusted coeliac-association marks on their products.

Product overview

BRCGS offers a multi-standard certification platform with Gluten Free Certification as a core product offering. The portfolio includes the Global Standard Gluten-Free Issue 4 as the flagship certification framework, supported by the Gluten Free Trademark for consumer-facing brand recognition. Additional value-added services include digital solutions (Horizon, Directory Pro, Confidential Reporting, Food Safety Culture Excellence) and training options (E-Learning, Classroom Learning, BRCGS Professional). The offering is structured as a platform-plus-modules architecture where the core certification standard can be combined with Food Safety audits and enhanced with digital tools and training programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Global Standard Gluten-Free: Gluten-free certification standard using scientifically proven, risk-based management systems approach for controlling gluten and gluten cross-contamination from incoming ingredients to final product

Products and services

• Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP) Third-party certification standard for gluten-free food production, using a risk-based management systems approach to control gluten and prevent cross-contamination throughout the supply chain. Targeted at food manufacturers and producers seeking recognised gluten-free certification for market access.
• Global Standard Gluten-Free Issue 4 Flagship certification framework document for producers, using a scientifically proven risk-based management systems approach to control gluten and gluten cross-contamination from incoming ingredients through to final product. Recognised by coeliac organisations in Europe, USA, Canada and Mexico.
• Gluten-Free Trademark Consumer-facing trademark recognised by leading coeliac organisations worldwide that certified producers can apply to their gluten-free products, delivering the trusted marks that 91% of consumers say impacts their buying decisions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% of consumers declare that their buying decisions are impacted by third-party verification
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LGC GroupcoreOthersLGC Group operates as the certification body for BRCGS standards. They manage the participation portal and certification processes for BRCGS Gluten-Free Certification. Contact information and participation for certification is facilitated through LGC at [email protected].

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS: SGS is one of the world's largest testing, inspection, and certification companies, offering food safety audits and allergen-related certification services. It is a broad incumbent peer — overlapping on certification services but across many industries beyond GFCP's gluten-free niche.
• DNV: DNV provides certification services across food safety and supply chain standards, including ISO-based management system certifications. It is a broad incumbent in the certification ecosystem, often engaged as an approved certification body for schemes similar to GFCP.
• Intertek: Intertek provides global testing, inspection, and certification services including food safety audits and allergen testing programs. It is a broad incumbent peer with overlapping food certification capabilities but operates across many industries rather than specialising in gluten-free.
• Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins is a leading food testing laboratory network that also offers allergen testing and related certification-adjacent services. It is a broad incumbent peer that supports GFCP-style programs with underlying analytical testing but does not run its own gluten-free certification mark.
• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global testing, inspection, and certification firm with food safety and quality certification programs. Comparable to GFCP as a broad certification incumbent serving food manufacturers, though not gluten-free-specific.

Direct peers

• NSF International: NSF operates food safety and gluten-free certification programs serving food manufacturers globally, including the NSF Gluten-Free certification. It is the closest direct peer to GFCP, competing for the same food-manufacturer wallet with third-party verified allergen/gluten claims.
• SQF Institute: SQF (Safe Quality Food) Institute runs one of the leading GFSI-recognised food safety certification programs used by global food manufacturers. It is a direct competitor for food-manufacturer audit budgets, often running alongside or instead of gluten-free-specific certifications like GFCP.
• Coeliac UK (Crossed Grain Trademark): Coeliac UK operates the Crossed Grain Trademark, the most recognised gluten-free certification mark in the UK market. It is a direct peer to GFCP's Gluten-Free Trademark for consumer-facing trust signals on certified products.

Others

• AOAC International: AOAC International is a standards-development organisation for analytical methods, including allergen and gluten detection methods used in food testing. It is an ecosystem participant — not a direct competitor — whose validated methods underpin certification programs like GFCP.

Regional players

• Mérieux NutriSciences: Mérieux NutriSciences provides food safety testing, auditing, and certification services globally with strong presence in Europe and the Americas. It is a regional/category peer offering food-safety and allergen-related audit services comparable to GFCP's scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BRCGS_Standards
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCv_m8YKJjRYYDKaKS3F7Cuw
• Facebookfacebook.com/BRCGS.Standards
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brcgs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Allergen Control Group