| Food-contact compliance | For EU markets, Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006 apply to relevant food-contact materials. Plastics may also be subject to Regulation (EU) No 10/2011. | Request material-specific declarations and applicable migration-test reports. Check that reports cover the intended food type, contact conditions, and finished packaging construction. | Do not assume one certificate covers every material, structure, or use condition. Confirm compliance for the target market and application. |
| United States food-contact requirements | Applicable provisions of Title 21 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, depending on the substance and intended use. | Ask for the regulatory basis for each food-contact component and supporting compliance documentation relevant to its conditions of use. | “FDA approved” is not a substitute for checking the applicable regulatory provision and use conditions for the specific material. |
| Quality management system | ISO 9001 quality management system requirements. | Check the certificate’s validity, issuing certification body, site address, scope, and coverage of the relevant manufacturing activities. | Treat certification as supporting evidence of a managed quality system, not as a guarantee that every product will meet your specification. |
| Packaging hygiene and product safety | Good manufacturing practice requirements applicable to food-contact materials; sector-specific packaging standards may also be used. | Review documented hygiene controls, contamination prevention, pest management, staff training, cleaning records, and nonconformance procedures. | Match the control level to the packaging’s intended use, especially where direct food contact or sensitive products are involved. |
| Material and construction specification | Buyer-approved product specification; test methods should be selected for the material and application. | Define layer structure, material grades, thickness, dimensions, sealing method, print requirements, and permitted substitutions in writing. | Require written approval before changes to materials, production sites, processes, or subcontractors. |
| Barrier performance | Water-vapor and oxygen transmission testing may use applicable ASTM or ISO methods, selected for the material and test conditions. | Request test results with units, method, temperature, relative humidity, specimen details, and conditioning stated. | Set acceptance limits from product shelf-life and storage needs; results from different test conditions may not be directly comparable. |
| Print and appearance control | Approved artwork, color standards, proofing process, and buyer-defined inspection criteria. | Approve a production-representative proof; define color measurement conditions, registration, text legibility, defect limits, and inspection lighting where relevant. | Agree tolerances and reference samples before mass production; color tolerances are product- and buyer-specific rather than universal. |
| In-process and final inspection | Documented inspection plan; sampling may be agreed using ISO 2859-1 for attribute inspection. | Review inspection records for dimensions, seal integrity, print defects, appearance, and other specification-critical properties. | Agree the sampling plan, acceptance criteria, defect classifications, and any pre-shipment inspection requirements in the purchase contract. |
| Traceability and corrective action | Documented lot identification, record retention, complaint handling, and corrective-action procedures. | Confirm that finished goods can be linked to production dates, material batches, inspection records, and relevant production site. | Agree how quickly the supplier must provide traceability records and how nonconforming or recalled goods will be managed. |
| Environmental management | ISO 14001 environmental management system requirements, where certified or otherwise used by the supplier. | Verify the certificate scope and site, and request relevant information on material sourcing, waste handling, and environmental controls. | Assess environmental claims against supporting documentation and the rules of the destination market; avoid relying on unsupported recyclability claims. |
| Capacity, lead time, and continuity | Buyer-supplier production plan and agreed service levels. | Check confirmed production capacity, order minimums, sample and production timelines, peak-season constraints, and contingency arrangements. | Use a pilot order to validate communication, production consistency, packing, and delivery performance before scaling volumes. |
| Trade terms and shipment documents | Incoterms® 2020 rules, where incorporated into the sales contract. | Specify the named place or port, transport mode, packaging and marking requirements, shipping documents, and responsibility for freight, insurance, and customs formalities. | Compare total landed cost, not unit price alone, and have the selected trade term stated clearly in the contract or purchase order. |