Skip to main content

RPA Committee Will Establish Stronger and Uniform Standards for Reusables in Food Supply Chain

Arlington, VA, Feb. 24, 2014 – The Reusable Packaging Association has established a new industry-wide committee to establish sanitation standards and guidelines for reusable containers used throughout the food supply chain. The RPC Food Safety Standards Committee will include membership and input from providers of reusable plastic containers (RPCs), retailers, growers, and shippers.

“The reusables indus­try already has rig­or­ous clean­ing and test­ing pro­to­cols that meet or exceed accepted stan­dards, and these have proven to be highly effec­tive,” said Paul Pederson, Director of Food Safety & Compliance, IFCO Systems, and Committee Chair. “However, we want to establish common and public standards that will further increase confidence in the sanitation and food safety of RPCs.”

Pederson said the initiative was driven in part by retail supporters of reusables who need documented guidelines to share with members of their supply chains. Currently, the providers of reusables and cleaning services follow their own individual sanitation and food safety standards. Their practices are not made public and likely vary by provider. The three major providers of RPCs (IFCO Systems, Tosca Ltd, and Polymer Logistics) are all members of the committee and will work to determine best practices, and then agree to follow them in order to increase food safety.

In addition to the three providers, ORYX Automation and Label and Barcode, Inc. are on the committee. More companies are expected to join as the work gets under way. “We will incorporate input from retailers, growers, and shippers so that the outcome reflects the needs of all the players in the supply chain,” emphasized Pederson.

“This committee is a great example of the value of the RPA,” said Robert Engle, Chair­man of the RPA Exec­u­tive Com­mit­tee. “Only the RPA can bring together a cross section of the supply chain – and competitors – to develop stronger standards that will benefit the entire industry. The RPA and its mem­bers are committed to pro­vid­ing a safe and cost effective means for moving food from point of origin to the end user.”

About the RPA
The Reusable Packaging Association is a collaborative effort between manufacturers, poolers, distributors, retailers and educators to promote the environmental, safety, and economic benefits of reusable packaging. The RPA serves as the collective voice of the industry and uses its knowledge of the members’ products and services to advance the adoption of reusable packaging and systems throughout the supply chain.  The RPA is focused on promoting the expansion of reusables as the preferred packaging solution across supply chains in all industries. For more information, visit http://www.reusables.org or call (703) 224-8284.

Media contact: Jerry Welcome
1100 N. Glebe Rd, Suite 1010
Arlington, VA  22201
Phone: 703-224-8284 Fax: 703-243-5612
Email: info@reusables.org
Web Site: www.reusables.org

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap