The Standard for safe food packaging

Training

PAC has already developed a series of training standards and materials, and has appointed a number of food specialty/packaging organizations to assist firms in becoming HACCP compliant through PACSecure. These include the Guelph Food Technology Centre of Guelph, Ont., QMI – SAI Global of Mississauga, Ont., Halifax, N.S.-based Kasar Canada Ltd., Quebec’s Jacinthe Lefebvre and Centric Source of Vancouver, B.C. These same firms can also undertake third-party audits using our audit checklist to qualify, quantify and certify a packaging Facility’s HACCP-based food system against the established PACsecure standards. We have also completed an online training tool for plant employees to better educate them on the importance of their participation in the PACsecure food safety for packaging program.

PAC will hold a series of additional “train the trainer” workshops in the Toronto area later this year, and will be offering a special rate to firms that sign up for these workshops at the upcoming PACKEX Toronto trade show at the International Centre, Mississauga, Ont., May 5 to 7.

On the third day of the show, May 7, PAC will be holding a forum on food safety, security and traceability. Two of the keynote speakers for the session will be Dr. Peter Muriana of Oklahoma State University, speaking on listeria and pasteurization, and Luis Garcia of the Food Safety Programs branch of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, on “a business case for implementing traceability systems.” I will also be providing an update on the PACsecure system.

Based on our involvement with the Food Safety Alliance for Packaging, and the direction it is taking, I can’t stress enough how important being PACsecure will be to future operations of food processors and their packaging suppliers. To provide the necessary due diligence for every aspect of the food industry, be it processing food, packaging and transportation, it should or must meet HACCP standards.