ProAmpac announced that its Rochester, NY facility has been recommended for certification to the Safe Quality Food (SQF) code, a global food safety program.
The recommendation for certification was issued on Dec. 4, and when received will make it the 15th SQF-certified ProAmpac site in North America and the 22nd GFSI certified site within ProAmpac.
“As one of the largest pouch producers in North America, we are thrilled to be able to offer food brands small-run pouching in an SQF qualified facility,” said Adam Grose, chief commercial officer. “Small volume pouch runs are extremely valuable for limited production-line testing of new packaging concepts. Adding this certification allows us to offer our customers commercial quality without the large-scale commitment."
Certification, issued by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), requires the establishment of a rigorous, comprehensive food safety program through every step of the supply chain.
“To become an SQF-certified site, the Rochester facility’s cross-disciplinary Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) team worked over the course of several months, with support from plant employees and cross-functional teams across all of ProAmpac, to leverage best practices,” ProAmpac VP Chad Buchta.
The Rochester facility manufactures direct-contact flexible pouches for food, healthcare, personal care, and other consumer goods and is also the site for ProAmpac's new Collaboration & Innovation Center (CIC).
The new 25,000 square foot CIC facility will support ProAmpac’s Collaborative Innovation process, where ProAmpac engineers and product development teams work together with its customers to accelerate the time between the initial concept and the launch of new packaging.
The center will also be the home base for ProAmpac’s Design & Sample Lab (DASL) — its successful program for the design and rapid prototyping of new packaging.
The CIC will house a new analytical testing lab, new equipment for development and testing, and training space for more than 80, as well as multiple meeting and collaboration spaces.