Vonco Products, a manufacturer providing flexible packaging for a variety of applications, has received approval from the American Institute of Baking (AIB) for its products to be used for food. The AIB declared the company meets International Consolidated Standards for Food Contact Packaging after an inspection earlier this year.
Moving to food
Bob Madderom, business manager for Vonco Products, told FoodProductionDaily the company’s core competency had been flexible packaging for medical products, but the company stepped up pursuit of the food market when new owners took hold about two years ago. The process of attaining AIB approval, he said, did not happen overnight.
“Working toward certification took over six months of diligent work in all departments,” he said. “We ran a number of trial inspections internally until we felt we had the processes, the work instructions, the procedures, and all the plant related information systems, as well as documented procedures for every operation.”
Madderom said the company benefited by having an operation manager had prior knowledge of such processes, having a quality assurance manager that had worked for a film extruder prior to joining Vonco Products.
“Most of all it was all the associates here at Vonco that dug in to make this happen,” Madderom said.
Certification advantages
According to AIB, the Food Contact Packaging recognition signifies a facility meets industry best practices and regulatory requirements. Madderom said the designation and the process leading up to it provides Vonco Products with internal and external benefits.
“AIB certification not only gives us that third-party inspection and approval needed to increase our food packaging business but it is simply a better way to run all of our business whether medical, industrial, promotional or food,” he said. “The new culture changes within the company will serve to set the stage for growth and continuous improvement for many more years to come.”
Before bestowing its food-contact packaging blessing, AIB first evaluates a manufacturer’s operational methods, employee practices, maintenance, cleaning and sanitizing, and pest control. This monitoring is intended to ensure a company is going above and beyond the minimum required by government regulations.