Foundation FSSC has incorporated Save Food Packaging design requirements into Version 7 of its FSSC 22000 Certification Scheme, extending food loss and waste measures to organisations that design primary packaging and packaging materials.
The packaging design requirements in FSSC 22000 V7 (Part 2, 2.5.13) were developed with support from the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) and the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP). The requirements are based on aspects of the AIP’s Save Food Packaging Design Principles, which have been adapted for global use by the WPO.
The new requirement follows the introduction of a Food Loss and Waste (FLW) requirement in Version 6 of the certification scheme, which applied to all food chain categories except Category I (food packaging manufacturing).
Kelly Mulholland, technical manager Safety & Quality at Foundation FSSC, said the Version 6 requirement meant more than 30,000 certified organisations were required to implement food loss and waste policies and strategies.
“The first step was to create impactful solutions for food businesses via the tools available through FSSC,” she said.
“To this end, we decided to add a specific requirement on Food Loss and Waste (FLW) in Version 6 of our Certification Scheme. As a result, more than 30,000 organisations were required to implement policies and strategies addressing FLW. This contributed to progress on SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, and specifically Target 12.3.”
Mulholland said the organisation recognised the role packaging plays in reducing food loss and waste, particularly through packaging design.
“To address this, we recently announced Version 7 of the FSSC 22000 Certification Scheme now incorporates a new requirement under product design and development, which applies to all organisations that design primary packaging and packaging material.”
Nerida Kelton, vice president of Sustainability & Save Food at the WPO and executive director of the AIP, said packaging's primary role is functionality.
“First and foremost, the true role of packaging is its functionality. Packaging needs to be designed to ensure that a product is protected, preserved, contained, and transported all the way through the value chain from production until it is used in the household,” she said.
Kelton said Save Food Packaging is intended to minimise or prevent food waste through design features that protect and preserve products, extend shelf life, enable easy opening and resealing, and provide consumer convenience and portion control while meeting sustainable packaging targets.
She said the inclusion of elements of the Save Food Packaging design guidelines in Version 7 “will have a significant impact for tens of thousands of food and feed companies involved in the processing, handling, or distribution of food products across the world”.
Mulholland said Foundation FSSC now has more than 40,000 certified organisations that are required to consider the packaging design principles to further support the reduction of food loss and waste.
Foundation FSSC became a member of the UN Global Compact in 2021 to align its global vision with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
