Originally developed and published in 2001, the Global Standard for Packaging Materials was designed to protect the consumer by providing a common basis for the certification of companies supplying packaging to food producers.

The Standard has been updated at regular intervals, to reflect the latest thinking in product safety, and has now attained usage worldwide, not only by food packaging producers but by producers of packaging for all applications at all levels of the supply chain.

The Standard now provides a robust framework for all types of packaging manufacturers to assist them in the production of safe packaging materials and to manage product quality to meet customers’ requirements, while maintaining legal compliance. Certification against the Standard is recognized by many brand owners, retailers, food service companies, and manufacturers around the world when assessing the capabilities of their suppliers. In response to demand, the Standard has been translated into many languages to facilitate implementation by packaging materials companies across the world.

The Standard has been developed to specify the product safety, quality, and operational criteria that must be in place within a packaging manufacturing organization in order for it to fulfill its obligations with regard to legal compliance and protection of the consumer. The format is designed to allow a company’s premises, operational systems, and procedures to be assessed against the requirements of the Standard by a competent third party – the certification body.

What’s New for Issue 6?
The development of Issue 6 followed a wide consultation to understand stakeholders’ requirements. A review of emerging issues was also carried out in the packaging industry and the industries it supplies. The information has been developed and reviewed by a working group composed of international stakeholders representing different sectors of the packaging materials manufacturing industry, retailers, brand owners, food service companies, certification bodies, and independent technical experts.