REPAQ

The importance of renewable materials such as wood or paper coming from a sustainably managed forest is increasing every day. To achieve this, a series of requirements included in the Forest Certification must be fulfilled, which entail advantages for this environment.

This is applied at two levels: forest management (GFS Certification -Sustainable Forest Management-) and Chain of Custody certification when the object of examination is the traceability of raw materials of forest origin.

What is Chain of Custody certification?

The Chain of Custody (CoC) of forest products consists of monitoring the materials extracted from this environment (wood, paper, cork, bark, resin …) during the different phases of the production process and their subsequent commercialization, in order to ensure the traceability of these forest products from the final consumer to the forest or, in the case of recycled material, to the point where the material is recovered.

All Chain of Custody certification may be carried out as a subsequent stage to the GFS certification of the forests, thus creating the complete traceability cycle from a forest-based product to its origin.

FSC and PEFC certification in Chain of Custody

To certify these systems there are two main international certifications: FSC y PEFC.

The objective of these two certifications is to be able to accredit that the certified company complies with the standards of the norms, as well as to create the unique FSC® or PEFC® seal that will allow the product to be accredited throughout its supply chain.

Ejemplo logo FSC según FSC-STD-50-001-V2 y logo PEFC según PEFC ST 2001:2008

Benefits in being certified in FSC and PEFC

Some of the benefits that this certification can bring to our company are:

And for our customers, we can benefit from a comparison between different suppliers, since:

What Will an FSC or PEFC certification audit consist of?

In order to achieve certification to these standards, prior separation is necessary, which may consist of an initial internal audit. This would be basically focus on a documentary validation of the traceability system of each type of certified raw material from its reception to the dispatch of the finished product, passing through all the stages of product transformation and a verification of the maintenance of the necessary segregation systems between product categories.

Once the certification audit process has been passed, the company receives the license to use the FSC or PEFC Chain of Custody mark, as well as the logo to be used according to the standards defined for each norm and under the authorization of its certification body.

Ejemplo logo FSC 100%, Mixto o Reciclado según FSC-STD-50-001-V2

At RepaQ we have a great experience in this area, during 2020 we performed more than 50 audits. We can advise you to adapt your company to this new certification, contact us!

In recent years there has been an exponential increase in e-commerce in our environment. In addition, the possibility of making online purchases during the pandemic caused a large part of the population to join this movement. Even though this is not the main sales channel, the main brands do not want to miss the opportunity to position themselves.

E-commerce involves adapting both the packaging and the packaging process throughout the production chain. From an operational point of view, it is a challenge because it is not easy to control the supply chain with different order sources and distribution centers and modes of distribution. Functional packaging must be achieved and meet all the requirements demanded by the customer.

Secondary packaging models

Secondary packaging must be adapted according to the sales channel:

Main challenges of e-commerce packaging

95% of consumers say that packaging influences the online shopping experience and 79% say that packaging needs are different between online and in-store shopping. Other factors that can affect e-commerce include the initial state of the package, the ease or difficulty of opening the package, and over-packaging.

But what are the challenges of e-commerce packaging? They are listed below:

Sustainability in e-commerce

Sustainability is one of the most notorious trends in secondary packaging today. Manufacturers must not only consider the effectiveness and efficiency of secondary packaging, but they must also respect the environment by opting for different materials and formats. As a result, this sustainable movement is driving manufacturers to look for new and innovative materials, reduce the use of materials and replace plastic packaging with more sustainable alternatives. However, we must not forget that secondary packaging must fulfil its primary objective: product protection.

Process automation

Automation consists of designing processes in order to use the capacity of the systems to perform certain previously manual tasks. It allows reducing the execution time during production, thus reducing costs and eliminating the possible mistakes that can be made in manual production. By standardizing and scheduling tasks without giving up the flexibility of the systems required by e-commerce, we will achieve automation.

It is not an easy task, but the alliance with Industry 4.0 technologies is making it possible to automate the packaging phase of e-commerce parcels, taking into account the requirements of the distribution chain.

Do you want to know more about how to adapt your e-commerce packaging to sustainability requirements, and how to benefit from process automation? If so, don't hesitate to contact us!

The Codex Alimentarius is a set of food standards, internationally accepted, which aim to protect consumer health and ensure good practices. Codex contributes to the involvement of companies in developing and establishing requirements in order to guarantee a safe, unadulterated and appropriately labelled product.

In 1969, the “Code of Recommended Practices” was published, which presented the principles of good manufacturing practices (GMP) and the analysis of hazards and critical control points (HACCP). This document has undergone various changes until, in December 2020, the new version called "General principles of food hygiene" was published.

Then, we are going to expose the most significant news.

 

What are the main changes?

Inclusion of culture in Codex

In this new version, the term culture is emphasized. According to Codex, culture is essential for the proper functioning of any process. A positive food safety culture reinforces the importance of employee commitment in providing safe and fit for consumption products.

In addition, the new update establishes guidelines to achieve a positive food safety culture. For example, it has been established that compliance with good hygiene and manufacturing practices should not be carried out only by the personnel who directly handle the product, but by all those personnel who access its production facilities. Communication and the commitment of the whole company are other aspects of vital importance in the culture.

 

Allergen management

The concept of “allergen cross-contact” is included and allergens are considered throughout the different sections of the document. The new version highlights the implementation of an allergen management system from the reception of raw materials to the storage of the finished product to detect possible contamination during the process. Allergen control measures should be included in products that do not contain them, as well as controls to avoid cross contamination in the case of the presence of products that do contain them.

This allergen management includes good maintenance, cleaning and disinfection, specific training on allergen awareness, good personal hygiene and manufacturing practices, and preventive measures to reduce the risk of contamination.

 

Training and competence

This section presents the points that are essential to achieve right training and competence of the staff. In previous versions, this section only focused on food or product handling personnel who come into contact with them, as is the case with packaging. The new version indicates the importance of including in the training all the people who will have contact with food or packaging, either directly or indirectly. The training of all company personnel is essential to ensure the safety of the final product.

 

Identification and traceability

In the new version, this section is added to the section on product information and consumer awareness. Lot identification is essential for product control and effective stock rotation. The idea of designing and applying a product monitoring system is reinforced to track this and allow the withdrawal of products from the market and guarantee the health of the consumer.

 

Risk management

The detection of critical control points (CCP) implies the control of the phases where hazards related to the safety of the product may arise. Control measures applied to CCPs must be effective. In this new version of Codex, the use of a decision tree is no longer mandatory to determine whether the phase where a control is applied is a CCP or not. Therefore, to detect CCP, the decision tree can be used or other tools such as the Ishikawa cause-effect diagram or the 5 whys.

In conclusion, this new version brings with it notable variations such as the incorporation of the term food safety culture and allergen cross-contact. In a general way, it involves the entire company from the production to the transport of products, claiming that all workers have a direct or indirect impact on the food safety of the final product. In this way, all workers understand their role in the company and acquire a culture of global quality and safety.

 

Do you want to ensure compliance with all these developments and thus guarantee the safety of your container? At Repaq we have extensive experience in this area and we can advise you. Contact us!

The application of LEAN, as a methodology of operational excellence, can give us a huge competitive advantage in packaging. Let's see how it can help us:

When we talk about LEAN we are talking about the elimination of Muda (Japanese word for waste, which in our language sounds very negative). What we want to say is that we must get rid of everything that does not add value to us and our clients either.

It can be applied to operational concepts, that is, processes, operations and / or controls that we have internalized in our day to day and that we have not considered if they are really necessary or they are because "we have always done it that way", a great barrier to continual improvement.

It can also be applied to the concept of packaging, and so it has a lot to do with sustainability, circular economy and packaging optimization. We always have to ask ourselves the same question: Does all the packaging that I use really add value to the packaged product? or on the contrary I am over-packaging, using an excess of packaging material or even an unsuitable material. The LEAN methodology will help us to solve the doubts that we have raised through the simplicity of action and ensuring that it provides the maximum value for our company.

LEAN has its origin in Japan, specifically in the Toyota Production System that introduced concepts that have changed the automotive industry first and then the rest of industries and organizations: Just in Time, Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, 5S ... Later it was adopted by many companies in the United States from the 80s and it was there that it received the name LEAN.

For the LEAN methodology, it is essential to move around the Gemba (another Japanese word that we can translate as the playing field or place where things happen) and listen to those who are there. It is in the Gemba that opportunities for improvement can be observed, which we will write down and transform into tangible improvement actions. Also, in the Gemba is where you see if we comply with the procedures, you can verify the use and condition of mechanical equipment and personal relationships, whether between employees or between departments.

Historically it has been used in the packaging sector, especially in printing, by many companies in the United States and from there it reached Europe. Let's see where we can apply it:

Where can Lean be applied in packaging:

 

The principles of Lean for packaging:

 

As has been seen, LEAN can help packaging companies to be much more efficient and at RepaQ we have the best LEAN and packaging experts to help you.

All companies, regardless of their size, have a certain number of suppliers, who must ensure quality standards, food safety and compliance with legislative aspects.

Suppliers are responsible for supplying raw and auxiliary materials, directly influencing the quality and safety of the final product. For this reason, to guarantee consumer safety and satisfaction, it is advisable to carry out supplier audits.

 

What are supplier audits?

The supplier audit is a continuous improvement tool in order to evaluate the supply chain. They provide transparency to companies since the way of working, infrastructures, systems and processes of the suppliers is exhaustively controlled.

The audits promote trust between the supplier and the customer. They also ensure compliance with quality standards and regulatory requirements relating to products, thus reducing risks that may arise in the supply chain.

For the proper functioning of an audit, an established order must be followed. The phases that make up this type of audits are the following:

  1. 1. Preparation. Prior to the audit, checklists are developed that will help to point out the strengths and weaknesses of the audited company. For this, check lists or standards developed by entities such as GFSI or the client's own can be taken as a reference.
  2. 2. Audit development. All information, evidence, testimonies are collected, and a report is prepared with all the findings found to draw conclusions and be able to present final results. Findings found in past audits should also be considered and verify that the necessary corrective actions have been implemented.
  3. 3. CAPA Plan verification. After delivery of the report with the findings found, the implementation of the corrective actions is verified. For an effective application of these actions it is necessary to understand what is the root cause of the problem. Only in this way will we achieve continuous improvement in our system.

 

How to develop your supplier audit plan?

Audit planning is essential. Thanks to them we have a global vision of the amount of work the company faces. To plan audits, the following aspects should be deemed:

 

What can provide supplier audits?

Carrying out supplier audits can provide a series of advantages that are described below:

 

How can we help from Repaq?

At Repaq we have expert technicians with high knowledge and experience in the development of audits according to different quality standards and food safety of the product. During 2020, a total of more than 50 system audits were carried out.

Thanks to our team we can offer our support in:

 

With a good plan you get great audit results. Are you sure your suppliers meet the necessary requirements? Repaq gives you the support you need. And remember: we are the only official BRC Packaging consultants in Spain. Contact us!

The high functionality of plastic makes it a ubiquitous material in our daily lives. However, its use in ephemeral applications makes some production models linear and inefficient. For this reason, the SUP Directive on reducing the impact of certain plastic products on the environment was created in 2019.

This Directive proposes new circular models that give rise to reusable packaging, with the main objective of reducing the waste generated by single-use systems. It also focuses on preventing dispersed litter from reaching the marine environment, since 80-85% of marine litter is plastic waste.

What packaging is included in the SUP Directive?

In fact, the directive does not specifically affect packaging, but rather different elements made totally or partially with plastic, and which are generally designed to be used only once or for a short period of time.

SUP Directive guidelines

On June 7, the European Commission published an interpretative guide in order to clarify how and what packaging this Directive affects in EU countries. It contains definitions and guidelines that help to better understand the application of the Directive.

Concepts such as the partial or total plastic content and what must be met for a container to be single use are specified. Specific criteria are also defined for each type of container where through diagrams it is indicated whether or not they are affected by SUP (containers containing nuts, glasses and beverage containers, food wrappers, etc.).

How does it affect its application?

Restrictions on placing on the market

The following plastic products are banned:

Marking requirements

The items named below shall bear a visible, clearly legible and indelible marking on the container or on the product:

 

This marking should inform consumers of proper product waste management options or types of product disposal to avoid for these items and also of the presence of plastics in the product.

Regulation 2020/2151 includes the marking provisions indicating the mode, position, size ... For example, in drinking glasses it is forbidden to place the marking under the base of the glass, since it is not a visible place so that the consumer knows that this item contains plastic.

 

Extended producer responsability

This is where the "polluter pays" principle applies. Producers of single-use plastic products will bear the costs of the following activities:

 

When does it entry into force?

The SUP Directive must be transposed into law by all EU countries before next July 3. The rules on restrictions on placing on the market and marking of products will apply from that same day, while the measures relating to extended producer responsibility do not apply until December 31, 2024.

You don't know if the packaging you produce and/ or sell is affected by the SUP Directive? At Repaq we are expert technicians specialized in packaging with extensive experience coordinating projects based on the control of this type of laws and regulations. Contact us!

Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) notified that from 2021 unannounced audits will be mandatory for all certification standards, including, IFS, BRCGS and FSSC (which already launched it).

Why are unannounced audits important?

GFSI intends that all certified companies consider the requirements of food safety and quality standards in their day to day. In this way, certified companies adopt a food safety culture and are prepared to be audited at any time, increasing the confidence of their work team, systems and procedures.

In previous versions it was possible to do unannounced audits. However, the new version requires at least 1 unannounced audit in 3-year cycles.

 

How do they affect certification entities?

BRCGS FOOD: SAFETY ISSUE 8; BRCGS PACKAGING MATERIALS ISSUE 6.

When is it applied?

As of February 2021, unannounced audits will begin to be implemented in companies certified with Food and Packaging standards.

What will the application deadlines be like?

BRCGS will notify the company if the next audit will be announced or unannounced within 3 months of the last audit.

The unannounced audit will take place during the 4 months prior to the due date of the audit. These cannot take place after the expiration date unless there are exceptional circumstances.

For justifiable reasons, companies can block up to a maximum of 10 days and those that have a certification level C and D have a maximum of 5 days (excluding holidays). The dates to be blocked must be notified at least 4 weeks in advance, and, in addition, the certifying entity may challenge the postponement reason if it is not considered appropriate.

 

 

 

 

IFS: FOOD V 6.1/ IFS FOOD V.7; IFS LOGISTICS 2.2

When is it applied?

As of January 2021. In general, they are done in recertification audits, but they can also be done in initial audits.

In companies that are certified by IFS Food V.7, the implementation of unannounced audits will be mandatory as of July 1, 2021.

What will the application deadlines be like?

In this case, the unannounced audit will be carried out without prior notification and a period of 4 months before the due date, or 2 weeks after this date.

Companies can block up to a maximum of 10 days for justifiable reasons and must notify it 4 weeks before the start of the evaluation time for unannounced audits. The certification standards can reject the reason.

For companies that manufacture seasonal products, the expected production dates must be notified to the certification system (without applying the time interval mentioned above). Consequently, these companies cannot block dates.

 

How to get good results in an unannounced audit?

Points which can be encouraged in a company:

 

RepaQ has extensive experience in this area. We are the only official BRC Packaging consultants in Spain. We can advise you to adapt your company to these changes and pass successfully the next unannounced audit. Contact us!

International standards bodies such as the "Global Food Safety Initiative" (GFSI, which encompasses the main food safety standards, such as BRC, IFS, FSSC), as well as the "International Organization for Standardization" (ISO), have been promoting the development of internal audits of management systems as an action for continuous improvement in the company. All these standards require consistent internal audits to validate the recertification. Specifically, the certifications require:

This positioning has been reflected, for example, in clause 3.5 of the BRC standard, which incorporates as a fundamental clause:

"The company must be able to demonstrate that it verifies the effective application of the requirements of the Standard and any applicable module through internal audits."

It is also reflected in clause 9.2.1 of the ISO 9001 quality and 22000 food safety standards:

“The organization should conduct internal audits at planned intervals to provide information on whether the quality management system:

a) complies with:

1) the organization's own requirements for its quality management system;

2) the requirements of this International Standard;

b) is effectively implemented and maintained. "

In this publication, we talk about the internal audit plan, focusing on explaining its functionality as a continuous improvement tool and how to implement it. Let us begin!

What are the objectives of internal audits?

The main objective pursued when implementing an internal audit plan in a company is to detect improvement opportunities through the development of the Continuous Improvement Cycle PDCA (Plan / Plan-Do / Make-Check / Verify-Act / Act). The PDCA cycle, also known as the “Deming Cycle”, is used as a continuous improvement strategy in various systems used in organizations to manage aspects such as quality, environment, occupational health and safety, or food safety.

Cicle-PDCA

Internal audits play a fundamental role in the Verification stage of the PDCA. These allow to collect information for later analysis and thus understand how efficiently the system is running. The verification of the system allows identifying those possible risks or non-conformities and creating new opportunities for proactive improvement. This improvement is achieved through the development of a corrective and preventive action plan, also known as CAPA plan (Corrective And Preventive Actions), which must be implemented in the next stage, Act.

What is the CAPA plan?

When the root cause of a problem is properly understood, it can really be solved. CAPA (Corrective And Preventive Actions) is a plan that derives from the application of different tools used to approach the analysis of a problem in a systematic way in order to achieve control of the processes and, ultimately, help prevent a costly incident of quality or food safety.

It is essential to base the CAPA plan on the identification of the cause of the problem, beyond what happened, it is necessary to know what started the problem. Some of the most used tools for root cause identification are:

Once the initial cause has been detected, it is time to manage the non-conformities. For this we must define the corrective and preventive actions that are necessary to close them. What is the difference between a corrective and a preventive action?

How can we evaluate the effectiveness of the CAPA plan?

PDCA continues to be a wheel that turns and turns, so that the search for opportunities for improvement never stops. Planning an effective approach to managing this process is key, and not only from a regulatory point of view, but also to ensure the company's processes and operations. It must be demonstrated that the root cause analysis and the actions that were previously planned have been effective and have made it possible to definitively resolve that discordant non-conformity. If, on the contrary, we detect the recurrence of the problem, the actions have not been enough and the CAPA plan has not been effective. In most cases it happens because the root cause analysis was not effective, either because there was no single root cause or other contributing factors were not observed, etc.

Thanks to internal audits, it is possible to reassess with a certain frequency the management system of the companies and thus detect new non-conformities or the reappearance of problems that had already been analysed previously. With this, it is possible to detect those CAPA analyses that have been ineffective and promote new solutions to achieve the objective of continuous improvement of the system.

No company, regardless of size, can afford not to have an effective internal audit program. These audits can be customized to suit the process and will differ from company to company. The internal audit program can be viewed as verification of the system and to be used properly it must ensure that all PDCA steps are completed. It is essential to ensure corrective actions / CAPAs are implemented and evaluated to show continuous improvement.

With a good plan, your internal audit or review process will certainly be successful. Do you need more help? At RepaQ you will find expert technical consultants to help you implement a CAPA audit and analysis plan throughout the organization. And remember we are the only official BRC Packaging consultants in Spain. Contact us!

Our food model is in clear transformation, providing answers to the global challenges we face, and for that reason it’s very important to focalize the food safety in the strategies. Food safety is essential for consumer protection and their confidence to the product.

Focalizing in food quality and safety, highlighting innovation, sustainability, the consumer and alerts management, the “Asociación de Fabricantes y Distribuidores (AECOC)” organize the 17th Food Safety and quality Congress celebrated in Madrid on 18th February, and it has high level presentations.

The event addresses topics of maximum interest in the area of Food Safety: the European food security system model, presented by AESAN and EFSA speakers; the newness of security mechanisms and food alerts management, by AESAN; the sustainability and food safety, presented by Montserrat Castillo, founding partner and technical manager of RepaQ; the innovation ecosystem in food integrity, in which FORWARD FOODING, CNTA and AINIA speakers collaborated; and the informative scenario about food to consumers.

Sustainability and food safety by RepaQ

“Plastic reduce without refusing food safety” is the title of RepaQ’s presentation.

Food sector participates in the reduction of plastic use in package and distribution of their products, but you should not forget that this material has allowed to protect food from danger and contamination, reinforcing its safety and reducing food waste.

This presentation gives a global vision about plastics in food sector, its reduction and involvement in value chain. In addition, the strategies that should improve environmental sustainability without refusing food security, such as the use of alternative materials, the eco-design, the use of biodegradable and compostable materials, the use of biobased materials, the use of recycled and recyclable materials or reuse are analysed.

Why attend the congress?

Do you want to come with us? The inscriptions are opened until 17th February 2020 at 5.00 pm.

The Global Food Safety Initiative (international organism that involves the principal food safety standards, like BRC, IFS, FSSC) promotes the concept of product safety culture in food companies for years (food processors, packaging manufacturers and related) in order to observe a series of beliefs, values and behaviours that guarantee the alignment of the business strategy with the continuous improvement of food quality and safety. This positioning has been reflected in the update of the main standards to guarantee the quality and safety of packaging. In this sense, 2020 starts with the new issue of BRC Packaging, issue 6, that incorporates as a fundamental clause the establishment of a plan for continuous improvement of food quality and safety, as well as in i5 of the FSSC 22000 Packaging standard.

This important change about product safety and quality culture implementation is described in clause 1.1.2 of BRC Packaging i6:

“The site’s senior management shall define and maintain a clear and effective plan for the development and continual improvement of a product safety and quality culture. This shall include:

Clause effective from 1 February 2021.”

In this post, we talk you about product safety and quality culture plan, focusing on explain its significance, its implications and last, how implement it. Let us begin!

Product safety and quality culture

When we talk about business culture, we mean the set of attitudes, values and beliefs shared by the whole team and that represents de “soul” of the company. This is built taking care of habits and attitudes of all company workers.

The set of attitudes, beliefs and ways of acting that are aligned with the continuous improvement of product (or food) safety and quality is what is understood as a product safety and quality culture. As you can see is a concept aligned totally with total quality and with the four BRC standard pillars that are:

What implications will it have?

The product safety and quality policy must be included in the business strategy, if it has not been done before, and understand that both product safety and quality are competitive advantages of great importance. It can be traduced in:

How to implement a product safety and quality culture plan

The process to implement a product safety and quality culture plan has four phases and follows a circular scheme. The different phases are design following the objective of assessing the culture maturity of the organization and planning and implementing an action plan to improve that maturity and verify that this action plan is really effective. At the end of this stages and following the schemes of continuous improvement, the organization will be able to detect other weaknesses with which the cycle will begin again to seek excellence in the fields of product safety and quality.

We study thoroughly each of the phases:

Phase 1: weakness and strengths identification

In this phase a diagnosis is made of the state of the organization in the fields of product safety and quality. To make this diagnosis, objective tools (SWOT analysis, claims and non-conformities analysis, and quality system evaluations in the different committees of the company) and subjective tools (personnel evaluation questionnaires and suggestion boxes) can be used.

The data generated by these tools should be compared with the definition of the company’s culture of product safety and quality. This will provide areas for improvement and indicators on the currents bases to reach the goals set and will be addressed in the following stages.

Phase 2: Planning the activities to be implemented

Once the areas of improvement have been identified and validated by the senior management of the organization, an action plan must be defined at different levels of the organization, from the senior management to the plant staff. This action plan should be designed to facilitate that each person in the organization has access to the training and awareness necessary to carry out the performance of their tasks. Actions that may be part of this plan include the implementation of large-scale continuous improvement systems (5S, Lean manufacturing, 6sigma) and highly targeted actions aimed at a specific group (role-playing games, bingos, case studies).

Phase 3: Implementation of the action plan

The defined action plan must be implemented using the time management in an optimal way so that it affects as little as possible the normal development of activities of the productive centres, and the time is necessary to be able to review the subsequent effectiveness of said action plan.

Phase 4: Review of effectiveness

Once the action plan has been implemented, it should be checked whether there have been positive changes in the areas of improvement. To do this, the diagnostic systems used in phase 1 are repeated, checking whether the results of the indicators are objectively better. For example, a reduction in claims, an increase in strengths and a decrease in weaknesses.

This last phase is considered the most important because it evaluates whether the implemented action plan has provided improvement results. It also shows which points remain weaknesses for the organization and which areas can be further improved.

How can you achieve continuous improvement? Moving from phase 4 to 1, following a cyclic scheme, and conducting a periodic evaluation. This is the only way to achieve the best results to meet the proposed goals.

In RepaQ you will find expert technical consultants to carry out and evaluate the results of the implementation of a product safety and quality culture plan. Remember: we are the only official BRC Packaging consultants in Spain. Contact us!

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