Certified Product Packaging to Meet Food Industry Standards

Five star restaurants and corner delis may be worlds apart when it comes to their menus, but they have one thing in common: the need for safe and sanitary food product packaging. Much like the medical and pharmaceutical industries, the food industry has strict guidelines with which packaging companies must comply in order to package food items for consumption. Additionally, some packaging companies voluntarily adhere to stricter, third-party administered quality control standards in order to further assure clients that their quality specifications can be met on an ongoing basis.

One third part that develops, administers, and audits for such a third party standard is the Safe Food Quality Institute.  The Safe Quality Institute is one of the most recognizable food safety inspection firms in North America.  Here is a brief explanation of the company and how they influence the food product packaging industry:

Who is the Safe Quality Food Institute?

The Safe Quality Food Institute is best known for their main initiative: the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program. Respected by food service providers and retailers around the world, the SQF is a meticulous and reliable food safety management system. Recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), SQF is overseen by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI). The SQF Vision is “to be the single most trusted source for global food safety and quality certification.”

How are Packaging Companies Ranked by SQF?

The SQF program bases their standards on the type of food supplier: Primary producers are in the SQF 1000 range and manufacturers and distributors are SQF 2000. There are also levels in which packaging companies can be ranked and they range from Level 1 to Level 3. Level 1 is designated for companies who provide adequate safety controls for low-risk products while a Level 3 SQF ranking is a badge of honor for any food product packaging company.  Plastic Ingenuity’s Cross Plans, WI; Oxford, NC; and Mazomanie, WI facilities have recently received SQF Level 3 certification.

There are numerous additional benefits for achieving a Level 3 Certification and all of the company’s customers enjoy ultimate confidence in the food products they purchase from them. The rankings are the result of a third party audit to ensure there is absolutely no bias in the results.  This way customer’s can be certain the food was produced, processed, and packaged to the highest standards imaginable.