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BRCGS Packaging Certification is a GFSI-approved standard that proves the hygiene, hazards control, and quality management of your packaging manufacturer meet the buyer’s expectations of the food and consumer goods sector. In case your business specializes in food contact or consumer packaging, buyers often make this certification a must have for vendors before ordering from you no matter if you are supplying to UK, EU, Gulf, or now more commonly even big domestic FMCG brands. The first must be done thing in preparation is clearly determining your product type and scope as the standard is granted based on a specific scope rather than a universal company approval. Most likely you will require a gap analysis of your current situation since even if the operation is good enough, there are always gaps in paperwork or process which do not match auditors’ requirements. Legal4sure assists packaging manufactures with the entire journey – from gap analysis up to the certification audit and every subsequent renewal.
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Below are the steps followed when issuing the BRC GS Packaging Certification to a packaging manufacturing site, contrary to what is normally said in the online simplified version. We always take clients through all the process from start to end before getting to the issuance of the certificate. Adhering to the above sequence makes sure that the manufacturing site is able to meet all the requirements in one go, without missing any of them due to lack of documentation or additional audits.
The standard is scoped according to packaging material and end-use, so your choice will influence every requirement that will come afterwards.
This helps to determine how your site currently complies with the standard and what's missing. This way you will know what needs to be done before planning your timeline.
The standard asks for a certain team to be designated for the management system, rather than a single person.
Specific hazards related to packaging need to be analyzed – contaminants, foreign bodies, migrations.
Procedures for cleaning, pest control, and other general issues should be prepared prior to the audit.
You can expect a mock recall to prove your system of traceability works
There must be at least one internal audit and management review done prior to the external audit.
Select a certification body which is accredited for packaging materials and not just food safety certification.
The auditor will do a review of the documentation and also visit the entire facility.
Normally, corrective action is expected to be completed within a certain time frame set by the certification body.
The certificates are graded depending on the issues found during the audit.
Certificates are good for a specified cycle where one has to conduct an audit annually.
It is important that renewal is done long before the expiry of the certificate.
Legal4sure has led many manufacturers of packaging materials, from corrugated box producers to flexible film converters, through the process of BRCGS Packaging Certification, and our consultants know very well what areas the auditors pay attention to when performing audits for this certification type. Our clients receive a personal consultant for BRCGS Packaging Certification who will be available from start to finish.
We prepare, review, and arrange all policies, hazard analyses, and procedures required by the standard, so you don’t miss anything on audit day.
Our team conducts a comprehensive gap analysis based on current requirements and rectifies gaps even before the audit by the certification body takes place.
We conduct the actual audit by the certification body in a simulated manner to ensure that your team understands what to expect from an audit.
We manage your entire certification process and keep an eye on your documentation updates before every surveillance audit.
Most buyers in the UK, EU, and Gulf region will not accept a new packaging company without evidence of a GFSI-recognized standard, which BRC Packaging Certification is considered by most to be the equivalent of. Without it, a facility will not be included in an RFP prior to discussions about prices. Getting through this certification early will significantly speed up buyer onboarding times. Large FMCG brands are increasingly requesting the same proof prior to onboarding of domestic suppliers.
Certification indicates a facility manages contamination risks all the time, not just while being audited. This is especially important in food contact packaging because one quality issue with the packaging means a quality issue with the product within it. The certificate is used as a short cut for the buyer rather than doing a supplier audit.
A certified management system will spot any process drifts such as mold wear or batch contamination and prevent this from becoming a customer complaint or a recall. It will also provide the paperwork needed in case of disputes with quality. As a result, quality failures decrease over time.
Signed, dated statement demonstrating senior management commitment to the food safety and quality policy, reviewed at least annually.
Records demonstrating that every hazard related to packaging materials – physical, chemical or microbiological – has been identified and controlled.
Records demonstrating that all suppliers of raw material and packaging components have themselves been approved prior to being used.
Written SOPs dealing with cleaning regimes, pest control, personal hygiene and facility maintenance.
Documented procedure, verified by conducting a mock recall exercise, demonstrating that products can be traced back from raw material to dispatch. This group of records is vital for any BRCGS Packaging audit, because traceability deficiencies represent some of the most common serious nonconformances.
Records demonstrating that the site audits its own system periodically and takes action to close findings out.
Records demonstrating that process equipment has been calibrated on time and within tolerances.
Records demonstrating that personnel are trained in hygiene, hazards, controls and quality processes.
Bridging technical complexity and operational excellence across highly regulated global markets.
Supports manufacturers of films, pouches, laminates and flexible packs with food safety controls, hygiene, contamination prevention, traceability and supplier management.
Helps manufacturers of containers, trays, tubs and bottles establish controls for material safety, hygiene, contamination prevention, production processes and traceability.
Covers food-contact material controls, raw material management, hygiene, contamination risks, process control, traceability and supplier evaluation.
Supports manufacturers with controls for raw materials, chemical and material safety, hygiene, contamination prevention, production control and traceability.
Supports manufacturers of bottles, cans, cartons and other beverage packaging with material controls, hygiene, contamination prevention, process controls and traceability
Helps packaging manufacturers establish appropriate controls for material handling, contamination prevention, hygiene, process management and traceability.
Covers raw material controls, printing processes, ink and chemical management, contamination prevention, hygiene and traceability.
Supports manufacturers of closures, caps, lids and other packaging components with supplier controls, material management, hygiene, contamination prevention and traceability.
Helps corrugated box manufacturers implement food safety controls covering raw materials, production hygiene, contamination prevention, storage and traceability.
Supports glass bottle and container manufacturers with controls for raw materials, production processes, foreign-body risks, hygiene, storage and traceability.
Covers material controls, production hygiene, contamination and foreign-body risks, process monitoring, supplier controls and traceability.
Helps manufacturers establish documented controls for materials intended for direct or indirect food contact, including hygiene, contamination prevention and traceability.
Before working with us, most factories ask the same things. These FAQs cover what Legal4sure does and how we support you.
The BRCGS Packaging Certification is a GFSI-recognized standard that confirms the hygiene, hazards management, and quality management system of the packaging manufacturer are up to the mark expected by the buyers in terms of food contact and consumer packaging. This certification involves documentation of raw material approval, production hygiene, traceability, and dispatch controls under one certification process.
It is not a regulatory requirement, however, most UK, EU, and Gulf retail buyers insist upon it as an absolute requirement prior to placing any orders. Without it, the exporter may find it difficult to access export orders.
Certification normally takes 3 to 5 months for medium size packaging plants from initiation to completion. The time involved depends greatly on what documentation of the management system is already present at the premises.
BRCGS Packaging Certification has its scope limited only to production of packaging material whereas BRCGS Certification includes food manufacturing facilities manufacturing consumable products.
Once the facility is certified, it has to undergo an annual surveillance audit to keep its certificate alive with the window period for this audit varying according to its grade at the last audit.
Most first-time applicants score grades in the A or B range as there are usually some minor non-conformities which occur even after extensive preparation.
It is possible although because of the complexity of documentation and hazard analysis most first-timers hire consultants to save their time.
If the facility fails to address non-conformities in time, the certification agency may hold back or suspend certification.
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