IFS PACsecure – what do retail chains require from food packaging manufacturers?

Manufacturers of food-contact packaging operate at a specific point in the supply chain: their product never reaches the consumer directly, but it does come into direct contact with what the consumer eats. Film, cardboard, jars, bags — every type of packaging comes into contact with food and can affect its safety. Retail chains and food manufacturers are well aware of this. And that is precisely why they are increasingly requiring their packaging suppliers to hold IFS PACsecure certification.

What is IFS PACsecure and who is it designed for?

IFS PACsecure is a standard from the IFS family created specifically for manufacturers of packaging materials intended for contact with food. It covers a wide range of products: plastic packaging, films, cartons and corrugated cardboard, glass and metal packaging, labels, as well as auxiliary materials used in the food packaging process.

The standard was developed in response to a gap in the food supply chain certification system. Food manufacturers holding IFS Food or BRC certification must manage the safety of their suppliers — including packaging suppliers. IFS PACsecure certification on the part of the packaging supplier is the simplest and most reliable proof that this part of the chain is under control.

What do retail chains and food manufacturers require?

The demands placed on packaging suppliers are increasing from two directions simultaneously. On the one hand, retail chains, which have their own food safety policies, expect their food suppliers to work exclusively with certified packaging suppliers. On the other hand, food manufacturers certified to IFS Food or BRC are required to verify their key suppliers, and an IFS PACsecure certificate held by a packaging supplier effectively replaces costly and time-consuming in-house audits.

In practice, this means that a packaging manufacturer without IFS PACsecure is increasingly being removed from the list of approved suppliers — not because their product is of inferior quality, but because they lack the documentation that addresses safety concerns before they even arise.

What does the IFS PACsecure audit assess?

The standard covers requirements specific to the production of packaging materials that are not found in general quality management standards. Key areas include the control of chemical migration from packaging to food, the management of raw materials and auxiliary substances in terms of their suitability for contact with food, production hygiene and the prevention of physical, chemical and biological contamination, as well as a traceability system enabling each batch of packaging to be traced back to the raw material.

For companies that have already implemented a quality management system — ISO 9001 or another industry standard — implementing IFS PACsecure is a process of supplementing the existing system, rather than building from scratch. The key is a proper gap analysis and a focus on requirements specific to food contact.