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Brasil
PackTrends
2020
223
safety & regulatory issues
HACCP through the food chain with the aim of
controling and reducing any danger to the safety of the
final product to an acceptable level.
This standard combines key elements to ensure
safety at all points of the food chain:
• Requirements for Good Manufacturing Practices or
Prerequisites Programs.
• Requirements for HACCP according to the principles
of the Codex Alimentarius.
• Requirements for the management system.
• Interactive communication among providers, users
and regulators.
ISO 22000 is widely used by food companies
and also applies to package manufacturers, although,
in Brazil, for the latter, the application of that rule is
still restricted. The advantage of implementing this
system is the fact that it is an international standard
recognized and accepted in many countries.
Other specific safety management systems for
packages and certification have been developed and
used by various package manufacturers. The advantages
and disadvantages of each system must be evaluated by
the package producer although it is recommended to use
one that has greater recognition among those involved
in the manufacturing of the package. Table 8.2 presents
some of these systems and their country of origin.
Currently, many organizations are working to
harmonize the rules and regulations referring to food
quality and safety – the American National Standards
Institute, ASEAN - Association of Southeast Asian
Institute, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the FDA -
Food and Drug Administration, GFSI - Global Food Safety
Initiative, GHI - Global Harmonization Initiative, IFT -
Institute of Food Technologists, ILSI - International Life
Science Institute, and ISO - International Organization
for Standardization, among others (MERMELSTEIN,
2012). Some of these organizations, from 2011, also
began working on the establishment and harmonization
of safety requirements for food packages with GFSI
being among the most active.
The Global Food Safety Initiative is a business
initiative aimed at continuous improvement of food
safety management systems to ensure consumer
confidence in food around the world. This initiative
was launched in 2000 and provides a platform for
collaboration among food safety experts in the retail
market, manufacturers and food service companies and
other services in the food chain as well as international
organizations, academia and government. Among its
activities, the GFSI currently defines the requirements
of food safety throughout the supply chain. The GFSI,
through the harmonization of food safety standards,
hopes to reduce duplication of audits throughout the
food chain. The main objectives of GFSI are:
1. Reduce risks to food safety by offering equivalence
and convergence among efficient systems of
management of food safety.
2. Managing costs in the global food system, eliminating
redundancies and improving operational efficiency.
3. Developing skills and training in food safety to create
consistent and effective global food systems.
4. Provide a unique international platform for stakeholder
collaboration, knowledge exchange and networking.
Regardless of the standard, certification brings
benefits and ensures that legal requirements are
met, the package produced is safe and that it was
manufactured within Good Manufacturing Practices,
thus promoting access to the most demanding markets
that prioritize compliance with safety requirements. An
example of what makes the market more challenging
was the approval of the Food Safety Modernization Act
(FSMA) by the United States in January 2011. This
law promoted a historic shift in the food safety system:
from reaction to prevention (U.S. DEPARTMENT...,
2012). The emphasis in this legislation is on imported
products and is very demanding in the registration and
inspection of foreign food manufacturers. The FSMA
was designed to prevent problems with food before
they occur and require the implementation of HACCP,
risk control programs and certifications to suppliers.
Although directly impacting food producers, this law
will also affect package manufacturers, as they will
require certifications and evidence that the package
was produced within the standards of quality and safety.