| January 31, 2020
The new BRCGS Packaging Materials – Issue 6 will be mandatory from February 2020. Issue 6 incorporates stakeholders’ requirements, emerging issues relevant to the packaging manufacturing industry and the industries the manufacturers supply.
The information has been developed and reviewed by a working group composed of international stakeholders representing different sectors of the packaging materials manufacturing industry, retailers, brand owners, food service companies, certification bodies and independent technical experts.
There are several key features that remain essential to the standard in Issue 6. Meeting the needs of retailers and brand owners in order to reduce the audit burden is still an important part of the standard. It is still encouraging transparency and traceability in the supply chain, and there is a better recognition of the diversity of the packaging industry as well as its customers’ demands. Finally, another key feature is to encourage the adoption of the standard at small sites and facilities where processes are still in development as a way to improve the product safety.
According to BRCGS, the main focus for Issue 6 is:
- Enhancing the processes used by quality management systems in printed packaging controls and through a hazard and risk analysis approach;
- Continuing to ensure consistency of the audit process across the world;
- Emphasize the importance of a product safety and quality culture in the drive to improve transparency and coherence across the food supply chain;
- Simplifying the hygiene requirements based solely on risk;
- Introducing a new fundamental clause, corrective and preventive actions, to address issues and minimize the risk of their occurring;
- Based on risk, putting a microbiological environmental monitoring program in place; and simplifying the unannounced audit program.
Basic Hygiene Sites can download the transition document from the BRCGS website to prepare for their audit.
