DS Smith’s corrugated packaging plant in Tampere has received BRCGS Packaging Materials certification, which the company says makes it the first corrugated packaging manufacturer operating in Finland to achieve the internationally recognized standard.

The certification strengthens the Tampere facility’s ability to serve industries where packaging suppliers face stringent requirements for product safety, hygiene and traceability, particularly food and pharmaceutical applications.

The plant produces corrugated packaging that can come into direct contact with food, including boxes used for fresh pizzas.

Two-Year Program Preceded Certification

Achieving certification followed a two-year development program at the Tampere facility.

DS Smith said the work involved investments in its production environment, quality assurance systems and employee training.

The plant also developed and documented procedures covering hygiene, risk assessment, internal controls and management of non-conformities.

These requirements extend beyond the physical characteristics of the corrugated packaging itself.

Under the BRCGS system, manufacturers need controls covering the production environment and processes that could affect product safety and quality.

The standard also addresses areas including employee competence, cleaning, pest management, foreign-material contamination and management responsibility.

Traceability Becomes Critical for Food Packaging

One of the important elements of BRCGS certification is traceability throughout the manufacturing process.

Packaging manufacturers must be able to trace relevant raw materials through production and identify customers that received affected products.

This capability becomes particularly important when a problem is discovered after packaging has already left the factory.

Instead of treating all production as potentially affected, traceability can help a manufacturer identify specific materials, production batches and customer deliveries associated with the issue.

For food and pharmaceutical supply chains, such controls can support faster investigation and more targeted corrective action.

BRCGS Opens Access to Demanding Customer Segments

BRCGS Packaging Materials certification is voluntary, but it can effectively become a commercial requirement when supplying large international customers.

Food, pharmaceutical and consumer-goods companies often use recognized certification schemes to establish common requirements across geographically dispersed supplier networks.

“Many international food and pharmaceutical companies require this certification from their packaging suppliers. It demonstrates that we meet demanding international standards,” said Per-Ola Nilsson, managing director of DS Smith’s North EMEA operations.

According to DS Smith, certification should strengthen Tampere’s position within its international production network and improve its ability to compete for business requiring documented packaging-safety controls.

The certification does not eliminate customer-specific requirements. Individual customers can still require additional material testing, supplier audits or specifications for packaging intended for their products.

Corrugated Packaging Faces More Safety Requirements

The certification also reflects how requirements for corrugated packaging are expanding beyond traditional considerations such as compression strength, print quality and transport performance.

When packaging is used for food or pharmaceutical applications, manufacturers may also need to control raw materials, printing inks, adhesives, chemicals, hygiene conditions and potential contamination risks.

This is particularly relevant when recycled fibres are incorporated into corrugated materials.

The requirements applicable to a particular package depend on factors including its construction, intended application and the nature of its contact with the packaged product.

Packaging is consequently becoming a more closely controlled component of the wider product-safety system rather than simply a transportation container.

Certification Applies Specifically to Tampere

The scope of the certification is also important.

BRCGS certification applies to the audited Tampere manufacturing site and the processes included within its certification scope. It should not be interpreted as automatic certification of every DS Smith facility or blanket approval of every packaging product manufactured by the company.

The plant will also need to maintain its systems through continuing internal controls and recurring external audits.

DS Smith operates several corrugated packaging facilities in Finland, with Tampere supplying transport, consumer and retail-ready packaging for food, beverage and industrial customers.

Since 2025, DS Smith has been part of International Paper, creating a broader international pulp, paper and packaging manufacturing network.

For Tampere, the BRCGS milestone provides independent verification that its packaging manufacturing and product-safety management systems meet an internationally recognized standard — an increasingly important qualification when competing for food, pharmaceutical and other tightly controlled packaging applications.

Last Updated on 27/08/2026 by Jota Machinery