BRC/IoP

Developed by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), a UK trade organization that represents the interests of the UK retailers, in conjunction with the Institute of Packaging, the BRC/IoP Global Standard - Packaging and Other Packaging Materials was originally created to establish a standard for the suppliers of packaging and packaging materials for the food industry. This standard is now a leading global standard adopted by major retailers, manufacturers and packaging businesses around the world.

The standard is designed to assist packaging manufacturers and converters to adopt good manufacturing practices and supporting quality management systems to develop and manufacture safe, legal packaging materials meeting their customer’s quality requirements. Certification to the standard verifies technical performance, aids manufacturers’ fulfilment of legal obligations and helps provide protection to the consumer.

The requirements of the standard cover:

1. Senior management commitment and continual improvement - for any packaging quality management system to be effective it is essential that the factory management are fully committed to its application.
2. Hazard and risk management system - the basis for the program is an effective hazard and risk assessment which is based on the principles from the internationally recognised Codex Alimentarius system
3. Technical management systems - sets out requirements for the technical management of product quality and hygiene practices building upon the principles of ISO 9000. This includes requirements for product specifications, supplier monitoring, traceability, and the management of incidents and product recalls.
4. Site standards - defining expectations for the production environment including the layout and maintenance of the buildings and equipment, cleaning, pest control and waste management.
5. Product and process control - including requirements at the product design and development stage, process control and product inspection and testing. This includes a specific section on managing foreign body and chemical controls.
6. Personnel - requirements for the training of staff and expectations on protective clothing and personnel hygiene.