BRC publishes new issue of packaging standard

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has revealed the contents of the newest edition of its global standard – Packaging and Packaging Materials Issue 4 – ahead of publication in February.

The BRC’s global standards help over 15,000 factories in more than 90 countries do business with retailers by enabling them to demonstrate they are achieving the levels of quality and safety required by the retailers and meeting legal requirements.

The new issue covers packaging for products of all types, both food and non-food. It has been revised to put more emphasis on the need for packaging to be able to do its job at every stage of the supply chain at the same time as meeting legal, hygiene and quality requirements.

Just meeting a set of technical requirements is not enough, says the BRC. For example, packaging must also be durable, prevent contamination and damage, allow the product to travel the production line and contain information.  

All changes in the revised edition have been based on extensive consultation with international stakeholders. Changes to the revised standard include: 

• Preparation and planning section, providing guidance and support for sites new to the certification process
• Additional safeguards to reduce the risk of chemical migration, such as by inks, from packaging into food products
• Introduction of ‘fundamental’ clauses, relating to systems that are crucial to the establishment and operation of an effective packaging manufacturing operation
• Introduction of a grading scheme based on number and severity of non-conformities
• Audit frequencies and processes for corrective action that reflect the company’s audit performance 
• Simplification to two product categories, high risk and low risk, based on the hygiene requirement of the final use of the packaging materials – for example a food wrapping is high risk, the packaging round a kettle or toaster is low risk

To allow time for retailers, producers, and certification bodies to become fully familiar with the new requirements and for the BRC to develop support and infrastructure, audits will not start against Issue 4 until six months after it is formally published in February.

David Brackston, British Retail Consortium’s technical director, said: ‘Packaging materials play a vital role in protecting and marketing products. This standard provides the basis for ensuring that packaging is manufactured in a suitable hygienic environment and that controls are in place to ensure that it does what’s required of it at every stage of its life.

‘A retailer’s reputation is crucial to their success but with a wider range of goods being marketed under their own bands, sometimes from further afield, the quality, presentation and safety of those products is crucial. The BRC’s global standards provide greater assurance for manufacturers and retailers. They open up new markets for packaging suppliers who can promote themselves to customers who are looking for independent endorsement of suppliers’ operations.

‘We will continue to strengthen and update all our standards to keep them ahead of changing technology and customer demands.’

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