Quality & compliance
Checked before supply. Controlled after it.
A new supplier is a risk until it’s proven. Our quality process is designed to remove that risk: we qualify the manufacturer, validate the product and control every change.
01 · Due diligence
The checks we apply.
Manufacturers are proposed only once these checks are complete for the specific product.
Manufacturer qualification
- Site certification relevant to the product. For food packaging this is typically the BRCGS Global Standard for Packaging Materials, with the certificate’s status, scope and grade checked on the BRCGS Directory
- Quality, environmental and fibre chain-of-custody certification where relevant (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, FSC, PEFC)
- Equipment and capacity confirmed for the specific format
- Commercial and financial checks before first order
Food-contact compliance
- Declaration of compliance for each food-contact SKU
- Plastics assessed against the GB food-contact framework: Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 and Regulation (EU) 10/2011, as they apply in GB law
- Good manufacturing practice under Regulation (EC) 2023/2006
- Migration test data for the stated conditions of use
Specification control
- Signed-off specification for every SKU before production
- Agreed tolerances for dimensions, thickness and print
- Colour standard approved before the first print run
- No material or process change without prior notice and approval
Supply & traceability
- Batch or lot identification on every delivery
- Certificate of analysis or conformity per batch where specified
- Non-conformance and corrective-action process
- Composition data to support Plastic Packaging Tax and EPR reporting
About certification
Certification such as the BRCGS Global Standard for Packaging Materials belongs to a manufacturing site and covers a defined scope. It isn’t a property of a product, or of a sourcing business. So for each SKU we check the relevant site’s certificate (its status, scope and audit grade) on the issuing body’s directory rather than relying on a copy, and match it to what your customers and auditors require.
We don’t make blanket claims about certification grades. Where a specific grade matters to you, tell us in your enquiry and we’ll confirm it for the manufacturer proposed.
02 · Documentation
The file you receive for every SKU.
Your technical team should be able to answer an auditor’s question about any SKU we supply. These are the documents we provide.
- D-01
Technical specification
Signed off per SKU before production
- D-02
Declaration of compliance
For each food-contact material
- D-03
Migration test data
For the stated conditions of use
- D-04
Manufacturer certificates
Shared during qualification and checked against the issuing body’s directory
- D-05
Certificate of analysis / conformity
Per batch, where specified
- D-06
Composition data
To support Plastic Packaging Tax and EPR reporting
03 · Change control
No silent substitutions.
A common problem when buying packaging internationally is a change nobody announced: a different resin grade, adhesive or ink system. Our supply terms require manufacturers to notify Winnington of any material or process change before it happens.
We pass that notice to you with an assessment of its impact. Nothing changes in your supply without your approval.
The Winnington Packaging Review
Send us one specification.
Start with what you have: a specification, a sample or an idea. We’ll tell you plainly whether there’s a credible alternative or a better way to make it. There’s no cost and no obligation, and you’ll get a first response within 5 working days.