The PACsecure standards, which were originally developed for the Canadian packaging converting sector for materials that have direct or incidental contact with food and beverage products, was developed by The Packaging Association (PAC), with the support Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
The voluntary food packaging-specific safety standards are designed to help packaging converters harmonize with the international protocol long used by the global food and beverage industry: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).
PACsecure was also co-authored by such industry giants as Kraft, Natrel, Nestlé Canada, Parmalat Canada, Smucker Foods of Canada Co., Sobeys Inc., and more than 80 packaging converters and their material suppliers including Chantler Packaging (flexible plastic), Silgan (with two sites — rigid plastics - blow moulding), Graphic Packaging (paperboard and film - laminating), Jones Packaging (with two sites — paper and flexible plastics), Norampac (paper - corrugated boxes), Plasticap (rigid plastics - injection) and Sonoco (flexible plastic).
PACsecure/HACCP based standards specific to packaging materials available for purchase.
Of special interest to Operations Managers, QA Managers, Health & Safety Managers, these technical seminars are supported by The Canadian Government through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
The Packaging Association (PAC), through a 70 member steering committee, has developed five new PACsecure voluntary food packaging-specific safety standards for Flexible Plastics, Rigid Plastics, Paper, Metal & Glass. They are designed to help packaging converters harmonize with the international protocol long used by the global food and beverage industry: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP). In addition, PAC has developed Good Manufacturing Practices. (See Steering Committee list)
Many North American retailers and packaged goods companies are requesting HACCP compliance. Major food manufacturers such as Nestlé and Kraft are already requesting HACCP compliance from their suppliers.
“HACCP is the most effective tool to prevent the occurrence of food borne illnesses and to avoid consumer injuries linked to the consumption of our products.” read more...
Sandra Howe, Corporate Quality Systems Manager,
Nestlé Canada Inc.
“In the food safety food production chain, you're only as strong as the weakest link.” read more...
Lorne Hietala, Manager, Packaging Services,
Parmalat Canada
Participants will return from these 1-day sessions armed with valuable knowledge to share with management and employees on critical food safety procedures and best practices, including:
The following Canadian PACsecure/HACCP standards are now ready and will be available for purchase online and at Train the Trainer sessions. Choose from the five material specific standards and prerequisite (Good Manufacturing Practices):
As a processor or retailer, you need to control risk throughout the food chain to the point of demanding HACCP compliance from your suppliers.
As a supplier, you share in the responsibility. You want to help your customers. And you don't want to risk losing their business.
Food safety and bio-security are top global priorities, and of increasing concern to retailers and consumers. Processors have been compliant with the internationally recognized HACCP food safety standard for years, but suppliers now need to get with the program — literally.
To learn more, contact Larry Dworkin at:
(416) 490.7860 ext. 219 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
“In combination with prerequisite programs such as GMP, HACCP is the most effective tool to prevent the occurrence of food borne illnesses and to avoid consumer injuries linked to the consumption of our products. Nestlé Management is strongly committed to applying the Codex Alimentarius HACCP Principles. In keeping with this approach to food safety, vendors to Nestlé are required to have an effective HACCP system implemented.
The importance of our packaging vendors in ensuring endpoint food safety of our products must not be underestimated. Packaging is an integral part of the product purchased by the consumer. It is important to protect the product, helping to ensure its safety, integrity and shelf-life. It is also the carrier of key consumer information such as ingredient composition, allergen content, nutrition information, and preparation instructions. As such, packaging vendors implementation of HACCP is as important as any other vendor within the food supply chain.”
“In the food safety food production chain, you're only as strong as the weakest link. There are a lot of links from farm to fork. So you need to build on the weak links, strengthen them, so in the future the chain doesn't break. Packaging is one of those links. …If you have a system in place like the PAC standard, then that shortens the amount of time we need to spend with you during our audit. …It's a paradigm change. Where you were used to doing things a certain way, we now need to move to more of a food safety focus. You can't resist it. You need to embrace it, or we'll fall behind.”
