ECMA to hold GMP/food safety seminar

The European Carton Makers Association (ECMA) will hold a special one-day seminar to discuss food safety and its recently launched Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guide for cartonboard-based food packaging. 
 
The ECMA GMP guide is a management tool for the minimization of migration, organoleptic changes, and contamination in carton manufacture.  It covers the entire process, from raw material intake through design for compliance and manufacturing, to storage and delivery.  The guide also features a specific guidance chapter on inks.
 
The GMP guide was prepared by the ECMA Technical Committee, in close collaboration with stakeholders from the industry, and national carton associations from Germany (FFI), UK (BPIF Cartons), France (FFC) and Italy (GIfasp).  Considered as the core European reference for carton making, it will be updated on a regular basis, and can be downloaded free of charge from the ECMA website, www.ecma.org.
 
Members of ECMA that operate in accordance with the GMP guide will be able to issue a self-declared compliance statement for the manufacture of food cartons.  The statement, which will have to be issued for each manufacturing plant, will allow compliant companies to be listed on the ECMA website and use the ECMA GMP compliance seal (pictured).
 
The Food Safety and the ECMA GMP guide one-day seminar is open to association members and invited non-members.  The day will also include the announcement of the category award winners of the Pro Carton/ECMA Awards 2011.  It takes place Wednesday October 26 at the Sheraton Hotel, Brussels airport