BRCGS Global Standard for Food-Safe Packaging Materials

What Is the BRCGS Global Standard for Packaging Materials?

Packaging is the last line of defence between a finished food product and the consumer. It is also one of the most frequently overlooked sources of contamination risk in the supply chain. Chemical migration, microbiological contamination, and material nonconformity are real and documented risks that food manufacturers and brand owners need their packaging suppliers to be actively controlling. The BRCGS (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards) Global Standard for Packaging Materials addresses that directly.

Benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), the standard provides a rigorous certification framework for packaging manufacturers built around a risk-based approach. Requirements are scaled according to the risk level of the specific material being produced, making the standard both comprehensive and proportionate to the work being certified.

Who Needs BRCGS Packaging Materials Certification?

This standard is applicable to organisations that manufacture or supply packaging materials, including:

• Manufacturers of primary (direct food-contact) packaging
• Manufacturers of secondary and tertiary packaging components
• Producers of packaging for food, beverage, cosmetics, and household consumer goods
• Suppliers of packaging to food manufacturers or brand owners requiring GFSI-recognised certification from their supply base

As food manufacturers extend food safety requirements into their supply chains, BRCGS Packaging Materials certification has become an increasingly important qualification for packaging suppliers. Certification demonstrates that the safety and quality of your materials are independently verified rather than simply assumed.

Key Requirements of the Standard

• Documented quality and food safety management system
• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)-based hazard and risk assessment specific to packaging materials and processes
• Raw material approval, supplier controls, and incoming material verification
• Site standards: facility design, environmental monitoring, and housekeeping
• Process control, in-process testing, and finished product verification
• Traceability and customer complaint management systems
• Staff training, hygiene practices, and documented competency

Benefits of BRCGS Packaging Materials Certification

• Qualifies your facility as a certified packaging supplier for food manufacturers and brand owners whose supply chain programmes require GFSI-recognised certification
• Reduces contamination risk associated with packaging materials, providing assurance to both your organisation and the customers you supply
• Strengthens your position in supplier qualification reviews and new business development conversations
• Demonstrates the kind of systematic, independently verified quality management that builds durable customer confidence

Certification Through PJRFSCC

PJRFSCC auditors assess packaging manufacturing operations with an understanding of material-specific risks, production process controls, and the expectations of the food manufacturers your materials serve. Audit scope is defined around the specific materials you produce and their associated risk classification, ensuring the assessment is both thorough and relevant to your operation.

Contact PJRFSCC at 1-855-757-7374 or request a quote to learn more.