What is a food product specification?
A food product specification (often shortened to "food spec" or "spec sheet") is a controlled document that defines exactly what a food product, ingredient or packaging item must be. It is agreed between the buyer and the supplier and becomes the reference point for everything that follows: accepting a delivery, labelling the finished product, answering a customer query or investigating a complaint.
A good specification answers one question without ambiguity: if this product arrived at the door today, how would we know it is right? That means it needs measurable limits, not descriptions like "good quality" or "free from foreign matter".
Under BRCGS Food Safety, sites must hold specifications for raw materials (including packaging) and agreed specifications for finished products, keep them accurate and review them regularly. Missing or out-of-date specs are one of the most common audit non-conformities.
The three types of specification
1. Raw material specifications
These cover every ingredient you buy in. They are usually written by the supplier and checked and approved by your technical team. They feed your allergen matrix, nutrition calculations, label declarations and raw material risk assessment.
2. Packaging specifications
These cover primary packaging (in contact with food) and secondary packaging. They should confirm materials, dimensions, food-contact compliance (Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 and any plastics migration testing) and printed artwork where relevant.
3. Finished product specifications
These describe what you make and sell. They are usually agreed with your customer — a retailer, food service business or another manufacturer — and must match the label, the recipe and what your process actually produces.
What a food spec sheet must contain
The exact format varies by customer, but a complete food product specification normally includes the sections below.
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Product details | Product name, internal and supplier codes, description, manufacturing site, version number and issue date. |
| Ingredients and composition | Full ingredient list in descending order, percentages (including QUID where it applies), sub-ingredients, additives with E-numbers, and country of origin of the primary ingredient. |
| Allergens | Presence of each of the 14 UK/EU regulated allergens as an ingredient, plus a risk-assessed statement on cross-contact (precautionary "may contain" labelling only where a real risk exists). |
| Dietary and claims | Suitability for vegetarians and vegans, halal, kosher, organic, gluten-free status and any nutrition or health claims, with supporting evidence or certificates. |
| GM and irradiation status | Confirmation of GM status and that no irradiated ingredients are used (or declaration if they are). |
| Nutrition | Nutritional values per 100 g (or 100 ml) and per portion, and whether they are calculated or analysed. |
| Physical parameters | Appearance, colour, texture, size or weight tolerances, and foreign-body controls such as metal detection or X-ray test sizes. |
| Chemical parameters | Moisture, pH, water activity, salt, fat and any legal contaminant limits relevant to the product (for example mycotoxins, heavy metals, pesticide residues). |
| Microbiological criteria | Target and maximum limits for relevant organisms (for example TVC, Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes) and the test method. |
| Packaging and labelling | Pack format, materials, net quantity, label wording, date code format and batch coding. |
| Shelf life and storage | Shelf life from production, shelf life once opened, storage and transport temperatures, and handling instructions. |
| Traceability and logistics | Batch code format, outer case and pallet configuration, and delivery requirements. |
| Approval | Named approvers for the supplier and the buyer, signatures or electronic approval, and the date. |
Food specification template outline
If you are building your own food product specification template, use this structure as a starting point. Keep every section, even if the answer is "not applicable", so that reviewers can see it was considered rather than missed.
- Header: product name, code, version, issue date, review date, status (draft / approved / superseded).
- Supplier or manufacturer: name, site address, approval number and certification (e.g. BRCGS grade and expiry).
- Description and intended use: including any vulnerable consumer groups.
- Ingredient declaration: with percentages and origin.
- Allergen table: 14 allergens × "contains / may contain / free from".
- Dietary suitability and certifications.
- Nutritional information.
- Physical, chemical and microbiological limits: each with target, tolerance and test method.
- Packaging and labelling.
- Shelf life, storage and distribution.
- Traceability and pallet details.
- Change history: what changed in each version and why.
- Sign-off: supplier and customer approval.
A spreadsheet template works for a handful of products. Once you manage dozens of raw materials and finished products, the problem stops being the template and becomes keeping every version current, approved and consistent with your allergen and nutrition data. That is what food specification management software is for.
Sign-off, version control and review
A specification only has value if everyone is working from the same approved version. Good practice is to:
- Give every specification a version number and keep previous versions archived, not overwritten.
- Record who approved each version and when, for both the supplier and your site.
- Trigger a review whenever the recipe, supplier, process, packaging or relevant legislation changes.
- Review every specification at least every three years (BRCGS minimum) — many retailers expect annually.
- Link each raw material specification to the finished products that use it, so a supplier change flags every affected product.
Common mistakes auditors find
- Specifications past their review date, or with no review date at all.
- Allergen information on the specification that does not match the label or the allergen matrix.
- Supplier specifications accepted without evidence that anyone at the site checked them.
- No agreed finished product specification with the customer, or an unsigned one.
- Microbiological limits with no test method or no action when a limit is exceeded.
- Several "current" versions of the same specification saved in different folders.
For the wider system that holds all of this together, read our guide on how to build a food specification manual, and for the supplier side, BRCGS supplier approval and raw material risk assessment.
Frequently asked questions
What is a food product specification?
A controlled document, agreed between buyer and supplier, that defines a product's composition, allergens, physical, chemical and microbiological limits, packaging, labelling, shelf life and storage. It is used to accept deliveries, check compliance and resolve complaints.
How often should food specifications be reviewed?
Whenever the product, recipe, supplier, process or legislation changes, and at least every three years under BRCGS. Many retailers expect an annual review.
Who signs off a food specification?
Raw material specifications are agreed between the supplier and your technical team; finished product specifications are agreed with your customer. Record the approver, version and date for each.