In this guide 6 sections
For each food contact job, keep the batch record, supplier declarations, migration test reports, ink and adhesive details, hygiene checks and the dispatch note. Link all of it to one job number. Software matters because it makes these files findable within minutes during an audit.
The record starts with the raw materials
A food contact pack is only as safe as what went into it. Every film, board, resin, ink, varnish and adhesive arrives with a declaration from its maker. That paper states the material is suitable for food contact under the rules that apply to your market.
Check the declaration against what you bought. A declaration for one film grade does not cover another. Match the code. Store the file against the exact material code and supplier lot.
Declarations expire or get reissued. Keep a review date on each one, and flag it when the date passes. Stale paper fails audits.
- Declaration of compliance, by material code and supplier
- Supplier lot and date received
- Ink and adhesive formulation notes from the maker
- Review date and the person who checked it
Test files belong to the job, not a shared drive
Migration tests show whether substances move from the pack into the food. A laboratory issues a report for a given structure, ink set and use. Change the structure and the old report may no longer apply. Check the scope.
Link each test report to the product specification it covers. When a customer asks for evidence, the quality team should open one screen and see the report, its date and the structures it supports.
Plain folders on a shared drive fail here. Files get renamed, copied and lost. A record that points to the file, with a version and expiry, is far safer.
Batch records show what actually happened
The batch record ties the job to its materials, machine, operator and checks. It lists the reels consumed, the press or laminator used and the in-process checks made. Those checks can include odour, set-off, seal strength and print rub.
Cure time matters for laminates. A solventless adhesive needs time before release, and the record should show when the pallet was cleared. Metal detection or visual inspection results belong here as well. Sign each one.
Hygiene records sit beside the batch. Line clearance between jobs, cleaning logs and pest control visits show the plant itself is controlled.
- Reels, sheets or resin lots consumed
- Machine, operator, shift and job number
- Line clearance sign-off before start
- Seal strength, odour and print rub results
- Cure or quarantine release date and signer
What software adds over folders
Software does not make a pack compliant. It makes the evidence findable. That is all. Enter a finished pallet number and the system opens the job, the lots, the declarations and the test report in one chain.
It can also stop mistakes. If a material has no valid declaration on file, the system can block its issue to a food job. That catches problems before they reach a customer.
Access control matters. Auditors should see records, and only named people should change them. Log every edit.
Prepare for the audit and the complaint
Audits and complaints ask the same questions. What went into this pack, who made it and where did it ship? Simple questions. Practise by picking a recent job and answering them from the system alone.
Note which file you could not find. Add that field to the job record next week and run the exercise again.
Food contact job file index
This index has one row per job. Columns hold job number, product, material codes, supplier lots, declaration reference and expiry, migration report reference, batch record signed, cure release date, hygiene check reference and dispatch note. A last column marks any missing item in red so gaps show before shipment.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
How long should compliance records be kept?
Retention periods depend on your market, your customer contracts and your certification scheme, such as BRCGS or FSSC. Ask your auditor or regulator, and set the rule once in the system.
Is a supplier declaration enough on its own?
Often it is the starting point. For some structures or uses, customers also ask for migration test reports. Keep both, and link them to the same job.
Can paper records still work?
They can for a small plant, but finding one batch record in a cabinet takes time. Software shines when an audit asks for several jobs in one afternoon.