Packaging

Packaging for food and feed has many essential functions, ranging from protecting its contents against contamination or damage, leakage or loss, to providing a medium for product marketing and a location for obligatory product information. Packaging can present its own risks if inappropriate or unsanitary components are used. If this happens, the result may be contamination from toxins, chemical migration, or breakages from the use of fragile glass or hard plastics. Manufacturing safe packaging and packaging materials is a critical part for ensuring the integrity and safety of the food supply chain.

This sector is bound by many regulations and there are a variety of elements in the production and function of food packaging that must be considered. In addition to this, there is the wide variety of component materials, including glass, plastic, metal, and paper, all of which have their own inherent risks.

FSSC 22000 provides a certification Scheme that incorporates in-depth hazard analysis into a robust Food Safety Management System (FSMS) to control food safety hazards, minimize risks, and assist in ensuring the production and delivery of safe packaging and packaging materials all over the world.

Scope

FSSC 22000 can be applied to organizations that manufacture primary and secondary food and feed packaging and/or intermediate components, including:

• flexible and rigid plastics, such as foils, blisters, crates, and sachets,
• paper, such as cartons, boxes, and sacks,
• metal, such as cans, bottles, and boxes,
• glass, such as jars and bottles,
• shipping and transport containers, such as big bags, drums, and tanks.