Help me cover this by risk assessment please
REF 4.85 BRCGS Packaging Materials Standard
The latest BRCGS standard recognises the microbiological risks because there are currently new developments in biomaterials and bioprocesses for packaging production. This is to address the ban of single-use materials by making composable and/or compostable materials.
For conventional materials (e.g. petroleum-based plastic and inorganic like glass or tin can), the risks remain so low and people have never encountered serious microbiological incidents of those. Even BRC (before the BRCGS rebranding) said so in the p558 statement.
Since the Issue 6 going effective, BRGCS hasn't explained this clearly so many (food major, not materials science) Auditors and inspectors insist that the packaging manufacturers have to take swab tests regardless the technology or result of risk assessment or tests finding nothing.
By the way, one purpose of this practice is to reduce the contamination of microorganisms from packaging to contained stuff. While the pharmaceutical industry has already got instructions for communication between drug & packaging producers, the food industry still lags behind on this matter, AFAIK. A pharmacy plant sets limits of microbes (example 1000CFU/g for pills), and based on their process (e.g. measured 500 CFU/g) they then send microbio requirements (e.g. 200 CFU/100cm2) to packaging suppliers after calculating the contact surface area of the packaging.
Also, I would love that if anyone can help me to get such similar standards for food processors.