Certifications

As a reference among companies that manufacture high-performance seals in their production lines, Okra Flexible Packaging strives to ensure the constant evolution of its brand through the search for certifications pertinent to its business. Know the importance of each of them:

ISO 9001 integrates the standards of quality management systems. It can help to leverage the best in an organization by allowing you to understand your processes of delivering products and services to your customers.

ISO 9001 is suitable for any organization that seeks to improve the way it works and how it is managed, regardless of size or industry. However, the best returns on investment are obtained by companies that are prepared to implement it across the organization rather than in specific locations, departments, or divisions.

In addition, ISO 9001 has been developed to be compatible with other standards and specifications of management systems such as OHSAS 18001 of Occupational Health and Safety and ISO 14001 of Environment. They can be integrated seamlessly through Integrated Management. These standards share many common principles, so choosing an integrated management system can add great value to your investment.

It is well known that one of the great principles of ISO 9001 is the customer’s satisfaction and in the marketing era much is said about this subject. Satisfaction is the result of the feeling of being well served by the product or service that goes beyond your expectations.

Given this scenario, the implementation of ISO 9001 appears as a fundamental engine, for the customer is the center of attention of the quality management system. Through the application of ISO 9001, you will be able to monitor the 05 basic elements (quality, relationship, performance, price, and benefits) needed to create value and still have objective criteria to monitor your satisfaction.

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) are a set of principles and rules for the correct handling of the product, which in a preventive way aims to ensure the safety and integrity of the consumer.

They basically cover health-related aspects, ranging from specific construction standards, with the purpose of preventing the entry of pests and ease the hygiene maintenance of industrial, storage, and transport facilities, to the care in the registration of raw materials suppliers, in its receipt, inventory, and handling, and in the elaboration, transportation, and distribution of the products.

The personal hygiene practices of employees are also discussed, which include the importance of pre and post work shower, hand hygiene whenever necessary, absence of adornments, beards and mustaches, total hair protection, maintenance of nails short and without nail polishes, among others.

The GMP tool applies to industries that are directly related to consumer health, whether they are food, pharmacological, or cosmetic, and hence their entire supply chain, such as the packaging industry.

Advantages of deploying GMP

The BPF program meets the requirements of the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa), the body that regulates the obligation of GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICES.

The project has many advantages, such as:

• Supply of products in the quality standards established in a commercialization contract or requirements of ministerial ordinances;
• Reduction of operational costs resulting from, for example, customer complaints, factory reprogramming, and idle factory hours;
• Reduction of waste;
• Reduction of rework and, what we consider as a great gain, raising the awareness of companies towards behavioral change and factory management (plan, execute, monitor, and adjust);
• Use of market expansion opportunities, since the market already requires the implementation of the program by the companies that supply food products.

Okra has its good manufacturing practices management system based on DRC 17, which addresses the BFs in the pharmaceutical industry and in DRC 275, which brings the principles of GMPs into the food industry

The Food Safety System Certification – FSSC 22000 -, in addition to being considered robust, is based on ISO standards and is internationally accepted for auditing and certification of the entire supply chain. The FSSC 22000 uses the existing standards: IS0 22000, ISO 22003, and the technical specifications of the PPRs – Prerequisite Programs of the respective sector, which were developed through extensive and open consultations, by a large number of organizations related to the theme.

FSSC 22000 has been developed for the certification of safety management systems for food chain organizations that process or manufacture products of animal origin, perishable vegetable products, preserved products at room temperature, and food ingredients such as additives, vitamins, and organic crops, as well as packaging manufacturers. Only certification bodies that have signed an agreement with FFSC 22000 are licensed to issue FSSC 22000 accredited certificates. The FSSC 22000 certification scheme has been fully recognized and accepted by the GFSI – Global Food Safety Initiative and European co-operation or Accreditation (EA).

The Foundation for Food Safety Certification is an independent non-profit organization based in the Netherlands. It owns the ownership and copyright of the scheme and issues the licensing agreements to the certification bodies.

Benefits

By establishing FSSC 22000, the food industry is adopting risk management and techniques proven for quality assurance through a huge range of other industries. The new standard is credible, independent, and respected, aside from designed to provide:

• Greater confidence in food;
• Lower health risks;
• Greater brand protection;
• Lower auditing costs;
• Better supply chain management.

This standard helps to address the multiplication of standards in the food industry. In response to food crises, major manufacturers and retailers have introduced specific rules. Now they can be harmonized by using the FSSC 22000 as a base, adding additional requirements when it is needed.

In this way, it makes it much easier for producers and suppliers to sell to a diverse range of customers. Producers gain more control over their processes and a new, more holistic view of their organizations. Audits also form the basis of continuous improvement and differentiation at the global level. Standardization makes it easy to sell in new markets and new customers. The new standard also provides:

• Greater transparency among food standards;
• Global standards that everyone recognizes;
• More effective third-party audits that ease the burden on regulators and can use the new standard as a first audit point;
• Cost reduction through guidance for more efficient processes and rationalized audits.

The ultimate goal of FSSC 22000 is to improve food safety standards and restore consumer confidence in supplier integrity, which should benefit the entire segment.