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Recently my 9-year-old son opened a new cereal box and was shocked to find a third of the box to be empty space. "No wonder my favourite cereal does not last long!!", he exclaimed disappointingly. I guess us adults got used to it and accepted this fact! We all know the reasons why slack fill in packaging exists. Some reasons are functional (product settling, manufacturing process, product protection), but we also know about the human [...]
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Identifying the main differences between Packaging Materials Issue 5 and the new version Issue 6 OK! So BRCGS Packaging Materials Issue 6 has been out there since 01 August with the first audits due to take place commencing 01 Feb 2020. The Standard continues to evolve and raise the bar by harmonising with requirements from the Global Food Safety Initiative. Further revisions originate from consultation and input from industry-category experts. As always, the evolution [...]
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A structured approach to BRCGS Packaging Materials Issue 6 compliance Getting through the annual BRCGS audit can be a bit of an ordeal. Working towards compliance tends to be a bitty and inefficient process, soaking up time and resource. Thankfully, there are some practices that come together to form a structured approach to helping you succeed. Here we outline five key elements. 1. Choose the best tool for the job Using Excel spreadsheets and [...]
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Perhaps the biggest challenge for food manufacturers is that they need to produce safe food consistently, in large volumes …. while making a profit. A culture of cutting corners can gradually seep in such a demanding environment. This is a poor food safety culture. It's worth bearing in mind that food safety is a key element of BRC Food Safety Issue 8. A safety and quality culture also features in Packaging Materials Issue 6 (clause [...]
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I’m sure you have noticed recent high-profile cases about allergen control. The Food Standards Agency indicates that there are 4,500 hospital admissions a year because of food allergies. The proportion of people suffering from food allergies is certainly not insignificant: 8% of children, and 2% of adults. In 2014, in the USA, the most common reason for food recall was an undeclared allergen. Ineffective updates during recipe development a main cause of these undetected problems. [...]
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I have been doing some research, asking food manufacturers: What is the biggest compliance challenge that you face? Maintaining good manufacturing practice (GMP) was the dubious winner. I dug further, and reasons for GMP being so challenging fell into 2 groups: Staff don’t care enough about doing a good job. Staff don’t spend enough time on doing things right. Therefore, there are 2 issues, which are possibly related: Does the workplace culture encourage [...]
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It is always great to read success stories and achievements from my contacts on LinkedIn. Recently I have seen a few people posting about great results in their food safety compliance process. One thing I have spotted is that most of them always give credit to “a great team”. It reminded that just like many other tasks, compliance is a lot about teamwork. It’s not just about the quality manager, but also the team behind [...]
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If you are BRC-V8 compliant, or looking to be, you will have downloaded the BRC self-assessment tool. This is the BRC audit checklist. It's what the BRC auditor will go through. So of course it’s the standard you need to work towards and maintain in the day-to-day running of your food manufacturing business. How can you drill down further? The BRC self-assessment tool is hugely detailed. However, each point needs to be broken down [...]
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‘What can you do …?’ is probably more associated with a bid for the presidential race! So let me assure you my aims are much more down-to earth … What can you do to improve the success of your business? What can you do put the manufacturing plant where you work on the map? I’m not suggesting anything too wild. On the contrary … Why not start by taking quality management seriously? Audits often have [...]
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The right culture is not a luxury, but a necessity for a successful business. It is widely agreed that a healthy work culture leads to satisfied employees and increased productivity. The most recent BRC Global Standard touches on culture in the first standard, which focuses on senior management commitment and continual improvement. Senior management will often set the tone of the workplace culture, and are incredibly influential. It is not a matter of having the [...]
