15 replies to this topic

[hdmcminn]

Is anyone aware of GFSI Certified Vacuum Bags? If not, as a small company, will we successfully ask vendors to fill out supplier surveys?

[SQFconsultant]

No, and GFSI does not certify.

[Charles.C]

Is anyone aware of GFSI Certified Vacuum Bags? If not, as a small company, will we successfully ask vendors to fill out supplier surveys?

 

Hi hdm,

 

I'm guessing you refer to something like this -

 

https://www.orved.it...acuum-bags.html

 

or perhaps -

 

https://www.apcfilte...um-cleaner-bag/

 

(the latter mentions UL, the former seems anonymous)

[zanorias]

Hi hdm,

 

To clarify, are you looking to source vac pack bags from a supplier that holds a GFSI bench-marked accreditation scheme?

 

If so and you're in Europe, Scobie does a large range of vacuum bags and they hold BRC S&D and Food Safety (they do spices and the like too).

[Jpainter]

To be clear, GFSI does not certify certain products or packaging, they will certify a production facility as GFSI compliant. I would urge you to have a supplier approval program, and as a part of this request copies of the most recent audit with findings and corrective actions. Sealed Air/Cryovac is the largest supplier of these types of products in the USA, I would suggest looking into them if you are located in North America. 

[Charles.C]

To be clear, GFSI does not certify certain products or packaging, they will certify a production facility as GFSI compliant. I would urge you to have a supplier approval program, and as a part of this request copies of the most recent audit with findings and corrective actions. Sealed Air/Cryovac is the largest supplier of these types of products in the USA, I would suggest looking into them if you are located in North America. 

 

Hi Jpainter -

 

I'm not too sure of the above statement although it is supported by the (GFSI) claim below.

 

From a GFSI/CGF Publication -
 

 

Today, GFSI  and its global partners audit and certify more than 1 00,000 food operations  and facilities in 160 countries annually and the numbers continue to grow. These include fish processing plants in Norway, avocado operations in Mexico, poultry processing plants in the United States, spice producers in India, and others throughout the world.

“GFSI CERTIFICATION”
Despite the popular misconception, GFSI does not issue food safety certificates. Rather, GFSI brings together food safety experts from industry, government, non-government organizations, consumer groups and global institutions around the world to develop the best food safety management practices in a given industry sector (scope).

 

 

 GFSI Certification.pdf   277.45KB   6 downloads

 

My Questions -

 

(1) GFSI performs audits ? Validation ?

 

(2) GFSI certifies without issuing certificates. How ?

 

IMO the terminology "GFSI Certification" is simply a Promotional tool. Misinformation ?.

[Tony-C]

Is anyone aware of GFSI Certified Vacuum Bags? If not, as a small company, will we successfully ask vendors to fill out supplier surveys?

 

Hi hdmcminn,

It would be useful to know what you are doing with these bags and if they are for food contact?

 

To be clear, GFSI does not certify certain products or packaging, they will certify a production facility as GFSI compliant. I would urge you to have a supplier approval program, and as a part of this request copies of the most recent audit with findings and corrective actions. Sealed Air/Cryovac is the largest supplier of these types of products in the USA, I would suggest looking into them if you are located in North America. 

 

This can be quite confusing, but I'll try to keep it as simple as possible.

GFSI approve/benchmark certification schemes such as the BRC (Global Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials) and the SQF (Food Safety Code for Manufacture of Food Packaging).

Accreditation bodies must then meet each schemes' 'Requirements for Accreditation Bodies' and accredit Certification Bodies for defined/licensed scopes.

Certification bodies conduct certification audits and issue certificates.

 

Hi Jpainter -

 

I'm not too sure of the above statement although it is supported by the (GFSI) claim below.

 

From a GFSI/CGF Publication -
 

 

GFSI Certification.pdf

 

My Questions -

 

(1) GFSI performs audits ? Validation ?

 

(2) GFSI certifies without issuing certificates. How ?

 

IMO the terminology "GFSI Certification" is simply a Promotional tool. Misinformation ?.

 

Agreed (also see above), promotional misinformation 'Today, GFSI and its global partners audit and certify more than 100,000 food operations and facilities in 160 countries annually' adds to the confusion.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

[Jpainter]

You are correct in that GFSI does not certify facilities itself. I was stating a facility that is certified through a 3rd party using GFSI standards

[hdmcminn]

Thank you. That it what I meant. We passed our audit but received a minor for not supplying adequate third party audits, ect. for our packaging materials. We are a small meat plant and we are primarily packaging primals. So yes, our packaging materials are a food contact surface.

[zanorias]

May I ask which scheme the audit is for? Also what is your current supplier approval method for this packaging supplier?

[Tony-C]

To be clear, GFSI does not certify certain products or packaging, they will certify a production facility as GFSI compliant. I would urge you to have a supplier approval program, and as a part of this request copies of the most recent audit with findings and corrective actions. Sealed Air/Cryovac is the largest supplier of these types of products in the USA, I would suggest looking into them if you are located in North America. 

 

 

You are correct in that GFSI does not certify facilities itself. I was stating a facility that is certified through a 3rd party using GFSI standards

 

Seems to me that you added to the confusion?

[hdmcminn]

We are just finishing corrective actions for SQF Level 2. We had been requiring letters of guaranty but now I have a form for vendors to fill out. Our auditor said that most packaging companies get third party audits and we should be able to get copies of those but so far it has been difficult to get any cooperation so I was looking to take a different path by finding a SQF Certified maker of food packaging materials. I was hoping that someone would be able to provide the name of a company that they are using.

[Tony-C]

We are just finishing corrective actions for SQF Level 2. We had been requiring letters of guaranty but now I have a form for vendors to fill out. Our auditor said that most packaging companies get third party audits and we should be able to get copies of those but so far it has been difficult to get any cooperation so I was looking to take a different path by finding a SQF Certified maker of food packaging materials. I was hoping that someone would be able to provide the name of a company that they are using.

 

It is quite a specific use, I would suggest that you keep asking on the forum to keep the topic current. What's the problem with your current supplier, it appears that they are not supplying 'food packaging'?

[hdmcminn]

They just have not supplied me with a filled out supplier form or a copy of a third party audit. I don't feel they have inherent quality  issues or we wouldn't be using them.

[Jpainter]

Tony, please inform me how that adds to the confusion. I was clarifying an earlier statement. 

[zanorias]

hdmcminn,

 

Am I correct in saying that you don't have any issue with your supplier's product itself - the issue is that you don't have sufficient documentation from them to satisfy the SQF auditor for "supplier approval and risk assessment" and therefore received a minor non-comp because of this? I'm not familiar with SQF but could see how this could be an issue with BRC.

 

There was a discussion recently regarding difficulty in getting various information from suppliers:

https://www.ifsqn.co...er +information

 

If after explanation that you require their certificate/HACCP/questionnaire (or audit if feasible) to continue business with them, they still refuse to provide said documents then I guess you would need to source from another supplier. Unfortunately I don't know of any SQF certified bag supplier in your part of the world (US yep?) but hopefully someone will have some suggestions