BRC Requirements and Detectable Pens: What New Zealand Food Manufacturers Need to Know
By Hygiene Technologies
In New Zealand’s food and beverage industry, the humble pen is more than just office stationery - it’s a potential contamination risk. Under BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety, tools used in open food areas must be designed to minimise physical contamination. That means ordinary pens are no longer suitable for use in NZ food processing plants.
To meet BRC requirements, HACCP plans, and New Zealand food safety compliance, manufacturers must use detectable pens specifically engineered to reduce the risk of foreign bodies entering product. Below, we break down the risks, the BRCGS Issue 8 requirements, and why choosing the right pen matters for New Zealand food producers.
Why Standard Pens Are a Contamination Risk in NZ Food and Beverage Production
Pens are one of the most misplaced items on a production floor. In a factory handling meat, dairy, produce, bakery, or ready-to-eat foods, a lost or broken pen can create major issues, including:
Foreign body contamination
Production downtime
Product recalls
Costly investigations
Failed BRCGS or MPI audits
Injury or illness if fragments reach consumers
Even with strong X-ray and metal detection systems, small components are often missed. This is why New Zealand manufacturers must rely on purpose-built detectable pens.
Common Hazards from Non-Detectable Pens
1. Internal Metal Springs
Many pens use small coil springs. In food production, these springs are not reliably detected because coiled wire gives off a weak signal—especially when scanning wet or dense NZ products such as meat, seafood or ready meals.
2. Shattering Under Pressure
Some detectable pens use high metal content to increase detectability, but this can make them brittle, leading to:
Snapping
Shattering
Small fragments dispersing across equipment or into product
These small shards are extremely difficult for any NZ detection system to pick up.
Do Metal Pens Solve the Problem? Not Always.
Metal pens are often assumed to be safer, but they bring their own challenges:
Cold and uncomfortable to hold in chilled stores or washdown areas
Slippery when wet
Easily roll off surfaces
Often contain multiple small internal parts
Not always compliant with BRCGS Issue 8 Clause 4.9.6.2
New Zealand manufacturers need a pen that is not only detectable, but also shatter-resistant, ergonomic, and free from detachable parts.
BRCGS Issue 8: What NZ Sites Must Comply With
Released in August 2018, the BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 8 introduced a specific requirement relating to pens.
Clause 4.9.6.2 states:
“Pens used in open product areas shall be controlled to minimise the risk of physical contamination (e.g. designed without small parts and detectable by foreign body detection equipment).”
For New Zealand operators preparing for BRCGS, SQF, FSSC 22000 or MPI audits, this means:
No pens with small detachable components
No brittle plastics that can snap or shatter
Only pens that are genuinely detectable by your metal/X-ray systems
Many pens previously used in NZ factories are no longer compliant under this clause.
Retreeva Detectable Pens: Designed for BRC Compliance in NZ Facilities
For New Zealand food manufacturers, Retreeva Global detectable pens—supplied by Hygiene Technologies Ltd—already meet the latest BRCGS expectations.
Built around the principle of “prevention before detection”, Retreeva pens prevent contamination before it occurs.
Why Retreeva Pens Are BRC Compliant
Detectable by metal detection and X-ray inspection
Designed to flex, not shatter
Remain in large, easily recovered pieces
Contain no metal coil springs
One-piece moulded clip and lanyard loop—no detachable small parts
Anti-roll design reduces the risk of pens entering product zones
Suitable for NZ harsh environments such as chillers, boning rooms and wet processing areas
New Zealand food manufacturers rely on Retreeva because they help maintain strong BRC compliance, HACCP control, and foreign body risk management.
How NZ Sites Can Prepare for BRCGS Compliance
To stay audit-ready and reduce contamination risks, NZ factories should:
Audit all pens currently used onsite
Eliminate pens with springs or small parts
Conduct a snap test—can you account for every fragment?
Confirm detectability using your own metal/X-ray settings
Standardise procurement to prevent non-compliant stationery entering production
Switch to BRC-approved detectable pens such as Retreeva
These steps are simple but essential for maintaining audit compliance and preventing costly foreign body incidents.
Get Detectable Pens for BRC Compliance in New Zealand
Hygiene Technologies Ltd is the official NZ supplier of Retreeva Global detectable pens for the food, dairy, meat, seafood, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors.
If your site is working toward BRCGS, HACCP or MPI compliance, upgrading to compliant detectable pens is a simple and effective risk-reduction step.
Get in touch with our team to request samples, pricing, or technical documentation.