Our Commitment to Quality: Understanding BRC Grade “A” Certification
Netpak is proud of its commitment to customers and its role as a supplier of turnkey, innovative packaging. Becoming the first North American packaging printer to obtain this designation reflected the quality systems, traceability practices and production discipline behind our work.
Originally posted December 20, 2018. Netpak’s certification program has continued to advance, and current quality information identifies BRCGS AA+ Certification under BRCGS Packaging Materials.
BRC and BRCGS certification programs support packaging quality, food safety, traceability and documented production controls.
From BRC Grade “A” to BRCGS AA+ Certification
The article was originally written around BRC Grade “A” certification language. Current Netpak quality information identifies BRCGS AA+ Certification under BRCGS Packaging Materials, reflecting continued development of Netpak’s certified packaging systems.
What BRC certification means for packaging production
The British Retail Consortium standard established a recognized security and quality framework for the agri-food supply chain. For a professional printing and packaging company, certification helps validate the quality, safety and traceability standards connected to production.
The program gives customers a clearer basis for evaluating packaging suppliers that need to support food safety expectations, retailer requirements, controlled production and documentation.
Today, the program is commonly referred to as BRCGS Packaging Materials. Netpak’s current certification status reflects the same core priorities: food safety, hygiene, manufacturing controls, traceability and packaging production discipline.
Food safety controls
Certified systems help align packaging production with food safety and hygiene expectations.
Manufacturing discipline
Certification supports defined operating procedures, documentation and process control.
Material and product tracking
Traceability helps connect raw materials, production steps, finished packaging and shipment records.
Buyer confidence
Certified systems help customers evaluate supplier risk, packaging quality and compliance readiness.
Annual audits review risk management, hygiene systems and traceability
Earning and maintaining BRC certification requires audits that assess risk management, safety and hygiene systems, manufacturing process controls, and upstream and downstream product traceability.
These audit requirements help confirm that packaging production is supported by documented systems, material control, quality review and disciplined procedures.
For customers, that oversight helps reduce supplier risk and supports packaging programs where food safety, regulatory review, retailer expectations and brand protection matter.
BRC audits help evaluate
- 1Risk management and documented operating controls.
- 2Safety, hygiene and material handling practices.
- 3Manufacturing process control and quality discipline.
- 4Upstream and downstream traceability.
- 5Corrective action, oversight and continuous improvement.
Certification programs work best when sourcing, specifications, production, storage, shipment and documentation are connected from the start.
Quality is built into the production system, not checked only at the end
Certified packaging programs support repeatability, documentation, traceability and customer confidence across the full packaging production path.
Certified packaging helps customers protect consumers, brands and market access
Although BRC was closely associated with agri-food packaging, certified systems can also support the wider consumer products packaging landscape. Food, pharmaceutical, health and beauty, retail and consumer goods brands all need packaging that can be traced, controlled and produced reliably.
Packaging must help support health and safety expectations, material identification, quality control and documentation. These controls are especially important for customers with food safety, pharmaceutical, retailer or regulated-market requirements.
Netpak’s certification gives customers a stronger basis for supplier confidence when packaging must meet recognized standards for safety, quality and traceability.
Certification helps support
- 1Food safety expectations and buyer confidence.
- 2Traceability for materials, production and finished packaging.
- 3Supplier review for retailers and regulated product teams.
- 4Quality documentation for customer approval workflows.
- 5Brand trust in demanding consumer product markets.
Certification helps customers compete with stronger packaging assurance
Netpak’s commitment to certified production helps customers provide packaging that supports food safety expectations when doing business with leading distributors, manufacturers and retailers.
From a business-to-business perspective, certified systems help simplify supplier evaluation, documentation review and risk management. From a consumer perspective, they support confidence that packaging was produced under recognized safety, hygiene and traceability controls.
Netpak continues to invest in operational standards, safety quality, documented procedures and certification programs so customers can build confidence with current and potential buyers.
Netpak’s certification program now reflects BRCGS AA+ status and broader quality systems
Since this article was first published, Netpak’s certification program has continued to advance. Current certification references include BRCGS AA+ Certification, ISO 9001, FSC, PEFC, SFI and GMI-related print quality controls.
These programs strengthen the same priorities behind the original BRC Grade “A” message: food safety, hygiene, traceability, manufacturing controls, supplier confidence, responsible sourcing and packaging that can support demanding customer requirements.
Discuss certified packaging requirements with our team
Send us your product category, packaging format, food contact requirements, certification needs, documentation expectations, artwork status, paperboard preferences, quantities and launch timeline. Our team can help review structure, prepress, printing, finishing, quality systems, traceability and production planning before launch.
Continue planning certified folding carton packaging
These Netpak resources connect BRCGS certification context to folding cartons, quality systems, paperboard selection and production planning.
Quality and certifications
Review quality systems, traceability, certification context and production controls.
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Custom folding cartons
Plan paperboard, structure, printing, finishing, warehousing and logistics.
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Paperboard grades
Compare SBS, FBB, CRB and other grades for folding carton performance.
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Structure and prepress
Align dielines, prototypes, artwork, files and production readiness.
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