BRC Certification Grade ‘A’ Status for Netpak Packaging
Originally published on August 29, 2014, this interview with Maher Mahjoub, Innovation and Development Director at Netpak, explains why BRC certification matters for food packaging, folding carton traceability, manufacturing controls, and customer confidence.
Netpak’s current certification program supports documented quality systems, food packaging traceability, and controlled folding carton production.
Packaging certifications support supplier confidence before production starts
Netpak currently identifies BRCGS Packaging Materials AA+, ISO 9001, GMI, G7 Master, FSC, PEFC, and SFI systems as part of its certification and compliance platform for controlled carton production.2
The original post date is retained because the interview reflects Netpak’s early adoption of BRC packaging certification. Current notes clarify how the standard and Netpak’s certification profile are now presented.
What is the BRC certification and how does it impact the company?
It’s a world-class security program that sets the standard for the entire supply chain in the food industry. BRC was the first standard to be recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative. As a professional printing and packaging company, we are now BRC/IoP Issue 4-certified by GFSI which validates the high standards of quality, safety and traceability of our production line. We also chose BRC certification because it’s partially based on ISO, HAACP and BFP standards, making it the most relevant quality management certification of its class. Specifically, this initiative is part of our proactive approach focusing on continuous improvement. The standard includes annual audits to assess our risk management, safety and hygiene systems, and our control of manufacturing processes as well as upstream and downstream product traceability. The benchmark standards of the audit are among the most demanding in the industry, thereby allowing us to positively contribute to our customer’s value chain.
The terminology has evolved since this interview was published in 2014. The packaging standard is now referred to as BRCGS Packaging Materials. BRCGS states that the standard provides a framework for packaging manufacturers to support safe packaging production, product quality, legal compliance, and consumer or user protection.3
Food packaging safety controls
BRCGS Packaging Materials supports systems for safe packaging manufacture, including risk-based control of production processes and materials.3
Documented manufacturing discipline
For folding carton buyers, certification helps connect design, prepress, board sourcing, print production, hygiene controls, and traceability into one supplier qualification framework.
Upstream and downstream accountability
Traceability matters for food packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, health and beauty cartons, and regulated consumer products where packaging can affect brand risk.
The standard is currently marginal in North America. Why adopt it when there’s no demand for it on the market?
When founding Netpak 10 years ago, we endeavored to offer our customers every possible certification and to use cutting-edge technologies. This commitment allowed us to consistently deliver high-quality packaging while offering the best safety and traceability guarantees. Although BRC certification standards are mostly found in Europe, the last Food Safety Europe Conference clearly indicated a strong uptake trend of BRC standards across the food industry in the United States and Canada as early as 2015. We are witnessing the adoption of BRC standards in the North American agri-food industry which represents 70% of our customer base. It’s a matter of time until they become a requirement for suppliers. For all these reasons, we decided to take the lead by developing best-in-class quality management practices. Ultimately, our objective is to establish a trusted framework for our customers that testifies to our continuous improvement process. Whatever the relevant industry certification, our customers can be sure that Netpak has obtained it or is about to obtain it.
BRCGS Packaging Materials is now a global packaging certification framework used for food packaging producers and producers of packaging for all applications across the supply chain.1 This supports the original article’s point that certification can help packaging suppliers prepare before customer demand becomes a requirement.
BRC standards chiefly focus on the agri-food industry. Do they impact customers active in other industries?
BRC/IoP certification standards have come a long way. Although they initially focused exclusively on food packaging, they now encompass the full range of consumer products packaging.
Regardless of the industry, every company’s packaging must include health and safety guarantees, and that’s what BRC standards offer with strict quality control criteria and precise identification of all materials used. In fact, our pharmaceutical customers are particularly mindful of traceability and safety criteria. The BRC standards also allow Netpak to meet their specific needs by increasing safety and health aspects across the plant. Overall, every customer benefits from our various certifications, including ISO 9001 as well as eco-certifications such as FSC, PEFC, SFI and ECOLOGO. When dealing with Netpak, our customers are assured that their brand is protected across the value chain, right down to final packaging.
BRCGS currently states that Packaging Materials is used by food packaging producers and by producers of packaging for all applications, across the supply chain.1 Netpak’s current certification page lists BRCGS Packaging Materials AA+, ISO 9001, GMI, G7 Master, FSC, PEFC, and SFI programs.2
Folding cartons for food brands
Food packaging buyers need documented controls for materials, hygiene, traceability, and supplier reliability before packaging moves into production.
Traceability and safety expectations
Pharmaceutical and health-related carton programs often require tighter documentation, controlled processes, and stronger supplier qualification evidence.
Brand protection across the value chain
Packaging certification supports brand protection by helping customers verify production discipline before launch, reorder, or supplier transition.
Beyond these certifications, what are the benefits of working with Netpak?
Our commitment to securing leading certifications enables our customers to base their choices on the technical requirements of their project, trusting that Netpak will deliver best-in-class industry quality and safety standards. Therefore, our customers can focus on implementing their project while leveraging our expertise in the process. We contribute early on by helping our customers finalize technical briefs which saves then time when bidding on call for tenders. It’s not a guarantee to win the bid, but the service is always much appreciated. We can also assist in developing the packaging, including structural design, prototypes, and choice of materials and production process. We optimized our production startup process, making it the shortest in the industry. For our agri-food customers, our responsiveness is often a key advantage that affords them the flexibility they need. Importantly, we aim to be a trusted partner for our customers by remaining attuned their specific needs.
Do not hesitate to contact us (netpak@netpak.com) in order to discuss potential collaboration opportunities, and solutions that we can bring to you.
Netpak’s current packaging certification and compliance page positions its systems around supplier qualification, food safety review, colour consistency, quality management, responsible sourcing, and traceable carton production.2
Request folding carton support for a certified packaging program
Send Netpak your carton specifications, product category, certification requirements, board grade needs, artwork files, dielines, launch timing, and traceability requirements. Ask for a packaging review that covers BRCGS fit, ISO 9001 quality expectations, colour control, certified sourcing, structural design, and production readiness.
Continue reviewing certified folding carton packaging requirements
Use these Netpak resources to evaluate packaging certifications, food packaging supplier criteria, folding carton materials, and controlled carton production before requesting pricing.
Packaging certifications and compliance
Review Netpak’s BRCGS Packaging Materials AA+, ISO 9001, GMI, G7 Master, FSC, PEFC, and SFI systems.
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Food packaging supplier checklist
Evaluate food-contact fit, material controls, BRCGS systems, prepress support, production discipline, and logistics.
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Paperboard material selection
Compare SBS, SUS, CRB, FBB, URB, and micro-flute for folding carton structure, print quality, compliance, and sourcing.
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Folding carton services
Review Netpak services for carton design, prepress, printing, finishing, die-cutting, gluing, logistics, and production support.
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- BRCGS, Packaging Materials. https://www.brcgs.com/our-standards/packaging-materials/
- Netpak, Certifications and Compliance. https://www.netpak.com/en/company/certifications-compliance/
- BRCGS, Global Standard Packaging Materials Issue 7. https://www.brcgs.com/product/global-standard-packaging-materials-issue-7/p-26982/