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For many food safety auditors, packaging evaluation is often reduced to a simple paperwork exercise, i.e. checking if a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) from an NABL-accredited lab is on file. However, packaging is not merely an inert wrapper; it is a highly active and integral component of the food safety management system. We have seen historic global incidents, such as the major baby milk recall caused by ITX chemical migration from printing inks, which prove that packaging components are never truly inert and can present critical safety risks. From chemical migration and barrier failures to physical contamination, the packaging-food nexus demands a much deeper technical evaluation.
As an auditor, your role is to ensure that the food business operator (FBO) is controlling hazards at every single step of the operation. This means looking beyond the material specifications and laboratory test reports and stepping directly onto the packaging production floor. Here are two critical, practical examples of what you should evaluate beyond the CoA during your next audit:
1. Physical Contamination Originating from the Packaging Line: It is easy to assume that if a film is certified "food-grade," the risk is fully mitigated. However, packaging materials and the machinery handling them can introduce dangerous physical hazards into the food. For example, printed chips or ink can flake off the film surface and enter the product if the ink adhesion fails. Similarly, worn-out slitting or die-cutting blades on the packaging machinery can introduce metal swarf directly into the food stream. Delamination can also occur if the adhesive mixing ratios and cure times are not strictly followed by the operator.
Auditor Action: Do not just check the material specifications. Ask to see the ink adhesion tape test records to ensure inks will not flake into the food. Additionally, verify the maintenance logs and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for slitter blade change frequencies to rule out metal contamination.
2. Seal Integrity and Machinery Calibration: An FBO might invest in the highest quality, high-barrier laminate with excellent Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) and Water Vapour Transmission Rate (WVTR) values to protect their product. But if the sealing machine is improperly calibrated, the entire protective barrier is instantly compromised. Seal failures are the most common cause of post-process contamination. Look out for "channel leakers" caused by foreign material (often the food product itself) getting caught in the seal area during the filling process. You should also check for "burn-through" or thinned films caused by excessive sealing temperatures and prolonged machine dwell times.
Auditor Action: Treat seal integrity as a critical control point. Verify the continuous monitoring of seal strength parameters and ensure that any weak seals or channel leaks are treated as immediate safety deviations, rather than minor quality defects.
Packaging and the food product share a vital relationship: one exists for the other, and together they determine the product's ultimate safety. To effectively audit modern food facilities, professionals must bridge material science, engineering, and regulatory compliance.
Ready to elevate your auditing skills? Equip yourself with a robust, practical knowledge base in Food Packaging Technology. Nishtha Consultancy Services invites all food safety auditors to enroll in our specialized 3-to-6-day Food Packaging Technology training course, which can also be conducted at your location. This program will help you connect classroom knowledge to real-world manufacturing practices, empowering you to identify risks directly at the source of packaging operations.
For more details, please reach out to Us.
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