The BRCGS Packaging Materials standard helps a site or operation to demonstrate they are providing products that are quality assured, legally compliant, and authentic.

 

The scope of the Standard encompasses packaging for direct contact food and non-direct contact food use, and is applicable for operations that:

  • Produce packaging materials for conversion or printing.
  • Supply packaging materials from stock where additional product processing or repacking occurs.
  • Manufacture and supply of other unconverted or semi-converted and used or incorporated.

In addition to the main standard, there are voluntary modules covering:

  • Environmental Awareness - Module to assist companies and their customers to develop awareness of the impact of their processes, products and operations on the environment, and to manage those impacts on an ongoing basis.
  • Plastic Pellet Loss Prevention - The use of the module is voluntary but subject to the customer mandate. It is applicable to companies that manage primarily plastic or polymerbased packaging materials. Such materials are also used in the manufacture of finished consumer products.
  • tms GQS Requirements - Module to assist supplier partners to  meet tms Global Quality Standard Requirements and enable them to demonstrate compliance with tms GQS specific requirements. 

You can also use your certification as a marketing tool by displaying the BRCGS Packaging Materials logo on your publicity materials, stationery and website. And your business will appear on the BRCGS Directory too, giving you further recognition.

If you are new to certification against BRCGS Agents & Brokers and feel an independent pre-assessment would help gauge your preparedness prior to an initial audit, please get in contact.

BRCGS Packaging Materials - Audit frequency

Frequency of inspection depends on the grade awarded which is based on the number and level of non-conformities. Audits are at least every twelve months, dropping to six months if the site doesn't meet the required level of compliance.

BRCGS Packaging Materials - Audit duration

Audit duration is based on standards specific audit duration calculators to determine how long an inspection should be. Factors such as the size and complexity of your company, the number of HACCP plans and number of people working on the main shift will all be taken into account. However, a minimum of 1.5 days audit duration is expected for food businesses, but can be up to three days for larger, more complex sites.