The Japan-based company said the production line, run by its subsidiary Siam Toppan Packaging, commenced full-scale manufacture of primary food packaging last month and was a key part of its strategy to tap into soaring food processing and packaging growth in the Asia-Pacific hub.
The line is the first paperboard container manufacturing plant in Thailand to obtain BRC/IOP Category 1 certification, said Toppan.
This certification is accredited by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the Institute of Packaging (IOP).
The company said its Japanese operations had focussed on the design of the package manufacturing plant while the management of the lines had been consolidated by Thai-based Siam.
“This is the first time that a paperboard container manufacturing company in Thailand has obtained Category 1 certification, which enables the manufacture of primary packaging that comes into direct contact with food,” the company told FoodProductionDaily.com.
Asian and other emerging markets targetted
As well as the food industry, Toppan said it would also be targeting the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, retail and food service sectors with packaging from the plant – not just in Thailand but in the ASEAN region as a whole.
Toppan highlighted expansion in Asia as a major engine for growth in the global food processing and packaging sectors.
“In particular, Thailand is one of the leading countries in the world for food exports, and its annual food exports to 200 countries around the world total $15 bn. In addition to raw materials, this includes processed foods such as canned, frozen and instant foods,” said a company statement.
It added: “Consequently, there are numerous package manufacturing companies in Thailand, but until now there has not been a paperboard container manufacturing company with a sufficient hygienic environment for manufacturing primary containers, which come into direct contact with food.”
The firm also served notice that it planned further expansion by “making early advances into emerging nation markets such as India and South America, where significant growth is anticipated in the future”.