SQF Packaging 2.3.4 Contract Manufacturers

Hello All,

I visit the site daily and continue to be astonished by all of the knowledge being shared here, so first of all, thank-you!

My question is related to Contract Manufacturers in SQF Manufacture of Food Packaging Edition 8 clause 2.3.4.

We are looking into having another company perform a specialized seal on our bags.  We would produce the bags, send them to them to seal, and then receive them back to package, label, and ship.  I did some searching on the forums and wasn't able to find a similar situation.  What I would like to to know is the following:

1)  Is this considered a Contract Manufacturer? 

I ask since they are not producing our bags only performing one step and they are also not packaging, labeling, or shipping under our name.

2)  If so, what steps do I need to take to make sure we are meeting the requirements of the code?

  My thoughts are I would need to obtain their certification, and make sure there is a contract in place specifying what is expected to be done.  

In our process we have a small section regarding contract manufacturing - in summary we specify all items received will be tested to ensure specs are met.  We have never had to use this and it has satisfied the auditors since we don't have any contract manufacturers.  With that said, I think this section of our process will need to be expanded if we actually do move forward with this project.

A contract manufacturer either puts your finished food into your packaging  or produces the food product and puts it into your packaging - for all intents and purposes that product when distributed appears to come from your company.

And by SQF standards you must have a number of documented things in place including GFSI certification at the Contract Manufactuer thus making all things equal - there is a step to forego GFSI certification but it requires the contract manufacturer to be in harmony on every point of an SQF/GFSI certification and a 3rd party audit is required. 

If there is no food involved and the only thing you are sending to them is packaging to put a seal piece on it - that company is packaging supplier to you and is required to meet the SQF requirements as dictated by the SQF Code.

Hello Glenn,

Thank-you for the response.  I am not sure I understand this portion of the response - could you elaborate?  " that company is packaging supplier to you".  

There is no food involved.  We are sending the bags we produce to another company to add a specialized seal.  The other company will add the seal and send the bags back to us.  We will then label and package the bags in boxes to ship to customer.

The company you send your bags out to in order for them to install a seal component on them is packaging supplier to you.  Is that clear?  They are not a contract manufacturer.

Not completely.  I am not understanding how they are a packaging supplier to us if we are not using the bags for packaging, we are selling them as packaging to our customer.  

Well, I guess I could be missing something. But you send bags to a company, they install a seal on them and send them back to you -- are they not a packaging company?

They are not a contract manufacturer - sounds like a packaging supplier to me.

It does make sense they would be a packaging company, which in turn would make them a supplier to us.  I will use our approved supplier process to be sure we are meeting the SQF requirements.