“This confirms that we stand at the forefront in manufacturing safe, high-quality label materials for the food industry,” says Vesa Laaksonen, Quality Development Director for the self-adhesives manufacturer.
ISO 22000 is a Food Safety Management System that can be applied to any organization in the food chain. Becoming ISO 22000-certified allows a company to prove it has an efficient food safety management system in place – something that customers appreciate amid growing global concern for food safety.
Particularly in Europe, there are strict regulations governing food safety practices. Under European food packaging legislation, only companies complying with the EU’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Regulation are allowed to supply food contact materials.
Zero compromise
“ISO 22000 demonstrates to our customers that the food safety processes at our factories are in good order and meet GMP requirements,” says Laaksonen.
Only carefully selected raw materials of proven compliance can be used in food packaging, he explains. “In addition, the manufacturing process must not cause any chemical, physical or biological contamination of the food product.”
The current certification is valid for three years and covers Raflatac’s factories in Finland, the UK and Poland. It includes the manufacture and slitting of self-adhesive labelstock for food contact and food packaging used by the printing and converting industry. UPM Raflatac’s factories are audited annually by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) to ensure continued progress and compliance with ISO 22000 requirements.
