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HACCP for Packaging: Addressing the critical knowledge gap

When Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) methodology is applied to packaging, it can be a powerful tool, but because of application nuances, it has been more difficult to adopt.

When Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) methodology is applied to packaging, it can be a powerful tool, but because of application nuances, it has been more difficult
to adopt. Packaging and HACCP go back years as either individual consumer packaged goods companies (CPGs) sought to make their processes safer for food applications and/or packaging suppliers took on the challenge themselves. This has been met with several frustrations and is only now being properly addressed through conversations between the food manufacturers and the packaging industry.
 
As we look to today, we find an interesting fact about packaging material and equipment suppliers: Even though they participate in the food supply chain, they also supply other industries as well. The packaging industry has one foot out of and one foot in the food business. This disparity has lead to a lack of focus and understanding. Couple that with the fact that CPGs have focused initially on their own processes and upstream ingredient suppliers, and we have an opportunity to achieve better coupling between food safety and packaging.
 
Packaging-specific HACCP considerations
When HACCP was originally applied to packaging, the packaging industry became confused. Sure, foreign material was an easy target. But for years prior, individual CPGs were telling the packaging industry to shore up their Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). So when the CPGs were asking the packaging industry to incorporate HACCP-based programs, the packaging industry made assumptions about what constitutes a Critical Control Point (CCP), leading many to ask, β€œWhy another level of quality? We have foreign material abatement programs in place, and they would not be a CCP anyway.” Adding to the confusion was an overall CPG lack of understanding of the packaging manufacturing process, so they could not directly speak to the issues at hand. Adding to all of that was the fact that of the three types of hazardsβ€”micro, chemical, and physicalβ€”all of the regulation and training that the CPGs could offer related to microorganism controls, which the packaging industry thought they had very little impact on.
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