FEFCO GMP is a standard which covers the manufacturing of packaging made of corrugated and solid board in order to fulfill legal reqiurements according to EU regulations 1935/2004/EG for food contact materials. The food safety act indicates that in the development, manufacture, distribution, advertising or sale of food products to the consumer all reasonable precautions have to be taken. Therefore, all the actors of the supply chain (be it the producers, the packers or the suppliers) are responsible for ensuring the quality, safety, and hygiene not only of food, but also of packaging.
The corrugated industry translated that responsibility into an International Good Manufacturing Practice Standard, launched by FEFCO/ESBO at the end of 2003, to ensure that boxes meet all the requirements of quality, safety and hygiene (latest version: 2nd edition, 2006).
GMP means having a total control system in place in each manufacturing plant. The purpose is to ensure that from the purchase of raw material to the delivery of the finished product to the customers' premises, all parameters of quality, hygiene and traceability are monitored.
When a plant obtains GMP certification the following points are covered/established:
- This plant can guarantee that the product delivered to the customer fulfils all quality, safety and hygiene requirements.
- It can produce a certificate at the customer's request.
- It can offer higher product quality through better control and traceability, which is an integral part of the standard.
- It can guarantee consistent hygienic conditions within a controlled production process.
- It means that all the well-known requirements of other standards are met (BRC/IOP, MCAS, etc.) and therefore multi-audits are superfluous.
- It meets the requirements of EU regulation 1935/2004/EG concerning the GMP implementation during the manufacturing of packaging intended for food from corrugated and/or solid board.
Producers of corrugated board packaging.
The list of requirements of FEFCO GMP contains quality management, factory standards, contamination control and personal hygiene.
In order to determine whether the requirements of a clause in the International Good Manufacturing Practice Standard for Corrugated & Solid Board has been met, every item in the standard is checked. The auditor will rank his findings as follows:
A: In full compliance with the criterion in the standard
B: Only partly in compliance with the criterion in the standard
C: Not in compliance with the criterion in the standard.
After ranking the audit findings with an A, B or C, the auditor has to determine whether the B or C ranking is a critical, a major or stays a minor (B or C). The audit frequency (6-12 months) depends on the result of the audit.
ISO 9001, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRC Packaging, BRC – Global Markets Programs, IFS PACsecure, EN 15593, EN ISO 15378