The BRC/IOP Standard is the most important hygiene standard for the European packaging industry. “Our production sites in Austria, Switzerland, Northern Ireland and Estonia have already been certified to BRC/IOP Standard. In all other countries, measures are being taken to ensure successful certification. Consequently, we are providing our customers and consumers with the highest degree of safety“, explains Willi Eibner, CEO of Greiner Packaging International.

Kremsmünster,  February 2006. – BRC/IOP stands for British Retail Consortium / Institute of Packaging. Subsequent to Northern Ireland, Switzerland and Estonia, certification according to BRC/IOP was established at the Austrian location of Greiner Packaging in Kremsmünster. Now, relevant measures are being taken to ensure successful certification at the remaining production sites.

BRC/IOP Standard minimises risks
The BRC/IOP Standard for quality assurance of packaging materials substantially contributes to food safety. Certified firms commit themselves to minimising the risk of damaging the end consumers’ health through chemical, physical or microbiological contamination. Respective controls will ensure that legal requirements are observed.

Time-consuming and expensive requirements
Strict requirements have to be met in order to fulfil the BRC/IOP Standard. Accordingly, Greiner Packaging has implemented a variety of prerequisites, including a quality management system, measures to prevent any contamination, management of adequate infrastructure, hygienic and training measures for personnel, and maintenance of the HACCP system.

Prevention through HACCP system
HACCP is short for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points. The HACCP system aims to take preventive measures to ensure food safety. As a result, its goal is  to exclude all factors which could cause ailments after the consumption of food.

Corporate data
Greiner Packaging is one of the leading companies in the European packaging industry. In 2004, the company achieved annual sales of EUR 202.8 million or 26.75 percent of the total Greiner Group sales. Greiner Packaging employs a workforce of 1,972 employees at seventeen production sites throughout Europe.