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BRCGS Packaging Materials
BRCGS packaging materials is a product safety management system developed for food and non-food packaging. It is a GFSI approved packaging management standard. Apart from that, approved standards for packaging are FSSC 22000 and SQF.
BRCGS packaging standard can be used in all packaging. As a result of its well-designed risk-based structure, it can be used in a tertiary packaging company, while it can also be used in a pharmaceutical packaging company and an effective management system is achieved. The expressions 'risk-based' or 'site should use risk assessment' or 'depending on risk assessment' in the BRCGS packaging standard definitely indicate situations to be managed according to the risk assessment result. The application differences of products at different risks according to the BRCGS packaging standard come from these risk assessments.
In the BRCGS packaging standard guide, it is written that certification can be achieved when a very good ISO 9001 system is implemented. This phrase is a system in which the risks of the product and the end product in which the product is used are determined very well, but it still does not give the desired result. Because the practitioner can bypass the specific requirements that the GFSI wants.
The BRCGS packaging standard consists of the following main items:
1- Commitment of Top Management
2- Hazard and Risk Management
3- Product Safety and Quality Management
4- Site Standards
5- Product and Process Control
6- Staff
7- Requirements for Traded Products
When we examine the Top Management Commitment article, we see that, unlike ISO 9001, the most specific requirement is the Product Safety and Quality Culture Plan. BRCGS demands the creation of a culture plan so that companies can achieve the goals they specify in their policies. These cultural plans are also seen as a legal requirement by the European Union on the food side.
Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment (HARA) is expected in the Hazard and Risk Management article. In our country, this requirement is met by the habits of industry experts and generally by the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) study.
In accordance with the BRCGS packaging standard, all elements of the quality management system are addressed in the Product Safety and Quality Management article. Let's take a look at their titles; documentation and registration requirements, creation of specifications, internal audits, corrective and preventive actions (unlike ISO systems, preventive actions are still in place at the BRCGS), supplier approvals and monitoring of performance, product authenticity, assertions and chain of custody, subcontracted or outsourced processes management, management of service providers, traceability, complaint management, management of incidents-product recalls/calls. Especially in supplier management, a good risk assessment requirement emerges.
Site standards article and its sub-clauses, the environment of the facility, the building structure, the internal areas - the separation of areas or how the areas will be managed, the management of auxiliary services (water, ice, air, etc.), how the safety of the facility and product is ensured, equipment requirements, management of maintenance activities, It describes the determination of cleaning and hygiene requirements, the control of foreign matter or chemical contamination, the management of wastes, and pest management.
In the Product and Process Control article of the BRCGS packaging standard, we now begin to see product and process-related requirements. It starts with Product Development and ends with Shipping and Handling. in between; we can see graphic design and artwork control, packaging print control, process control, control of monitoring and measuring devices, product testing, non-conforming product control, input materials, storage requirements.
In the Personnel article, we first see how we will determine and manage the training and competency requirements according to the BRCGS packagingstandard. Then, risk-based personal hygiene requirements appear. We also encounter personnel facilities requirements, personnel health screening requirements, and workwear requirements.
The end item of the BRCGS packaging standard is about how we manage traded products.
All these requirements are interdependent and cannot be considered separately. When we apply these requirements, we reach a system that is interconnected and works flawlessly like the wheels of a clock. Failure of a subject creates results like a wheel not working. Our watch either stops or shows the wrong time.
You can access the BRCGS packagingstandard document by clicking the link below:
Prepared by: Dilek Özden Yılmaz, Lead Auditor