BRCGS Packaging Materials Issue 7: What Has Changed for Packaging Manufacturers in 2026?

BRCGS Packaging Materials is an important standard for organisations that manufacture and supply packaging materials across the food, beverage and wider supply chains.

In 2026, BRCGS introduced Position Statement P708 for Issue 7. The update follows an assessment against the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements v2024.

The changes apply to audits conducted from 10 August 2026. Therefore, packaging manufacturers should review their current systems before their next audit. BRCGS Position Statement P708

The update focuses on areas such as product defence, employee training, cleaning, disinfection, validation and verification.

What Is BRCGS Packaging Materials Issue 7?

BRCGS Packaging Materials Issue 7 provides a framework for organisations that manufacture packaging materials.

The standard helps businesses manage areas such as:

• Product safety and quality
• Risk management
• Product defence
• Traceability
• Hygiene and housekeeping
• Cleaning controls
• Legal and customer requirements
• Internal audits
• Continual improvement

For packaging manufacturers, these controls can help create a consistent approach to product safety and quality.

BRCGS also provides guidance and self-assessment resources to help sites understand the requirements and prepare for audits. BRCGS Packaging Materials standard

What Has Changed in BRCGS Packaging Materials in 2026?

The main 2026 update comes through Position Statement P708.

The statement updates requirements related to:

• Site Security and Product Defence
• Housekeeping and Cleaning
• Disinfection

It also adds a definition of disinfection to the Issue 7 glossary. BRCGS P708 Position Statement

For packaging manufacturers, four areas deserve particular attention.

1. Product Defence and Training Requirements

Product defence helps organisations identify and control threats that could deliberately affect products or processes.

The updated requirements place additional emphasis on the competence of people involved in threat assessments and product defence plans.

Businesses should make sure that responsible personnel receive appropriate training. They should also understand their roles within the product defence system.

What should packaging manufacturers review?

Organisations should check:

• Who conducts the threat assessment?
• Who maintains the product defence plan?
• Are responsible employees trained?
• Does the assessment cover relevant internal and external threats?
• Is the product defence plan current?
• Does the organisation review the plan when circumstances change?
• Are corrective actions recorded and followed up?

As a result, training records and competence evidence should form part of the organisation’s audit preparation.

2. Cleaning and Housekeeping Requirements

The 2026 update also provides clarification around cleaning and housekeeping.

Packaging manufacturers should establish suitable cleaning procedures for relevant buildings, equipment and vehicles. Where appropriate, organisations should also include disinfection controls.

A cleaning procedure should clearly identify:

• What needs to be cleaned
• Who is responsible
• How often cleaning takes place
• Which cleaning method applies
• Which materials or chemicals are used
• How the organisation records completed cleaning
• Who verifies the cleaning activity

Importantly, businesses should base cleaning frequency and methods on risk.

This approach helps organisations match their cleaning controls to their processes and intended product use.

3. Cleaning Validation and Verification

Cleaning procedures need more than documentation.

Organisations should also demonstrate that their cleaning controls achieve the required standard.

Under the updated requirements, businesses should validate and verify cleaning procedures based on the risks associated with the intended use of the finished product or activity. BRCGS P708 Position Statement

Therefore, packaging manufacturers should review:

✔ Cleaning procedures
✔ Cleaning frequency
✔ Cleaning materials
✔ Cleaning records
✔ Verification activities
✔ Validation evidence where required
✔ Risk assessments

For example, an organisation may need to review whether its existing verification checks provide enough evidence that cleaning remains effective.

4. Disinfection Requirements

P708 also adds a definition of disinfection to the BRCGS Packaging Materials Issue 7 glossary.

BRCGS defines disinfection in relation to destroying pathogenic microorganisms and removing most organisms present on surfaces. BRCGS P708 Position Statement

However, businesses should not treat disinfection as a one-size-fits-all activity.

Instead, they should assess the risks within their own operations and determine where disinfection is appropriate.

Where disinfection applies, procedures should explain how employees carry out the activity and how the organisation verifies its effectiveness.

What Does the 2026 Update Mean for Packaging Manufacturers?

The changes introduced through P708 are specific, but they can affect several parts of an organisation’s management system.

A practical review should cover four key areas.

Product Defence

• Threat assessments
• Product defence plans
• Responsibilities
• Employee competence
• Training records
• Monitoring and review

Cleaning

• Cleaning schedules
• Responsibilities
• Cleaning methods
• Cleaning frequency
• Cleaning materials
• Cleaning records

Validation and Verification

• Risk-based cleaning controls
• Validation where required
• Verification activities
• Supporting evidence

Disinfection

• Applicability
• Procedures
• Methods
• Records
• Verification

By reviewing these areas early, organisations can identify gaps before the certification audit.

How Can Businesses Prepare for the BRCGS Packaging Materials Update?

A structured preparation process can make the transition easier.

Step 1: Review the Latest Requirements

Start by reviewing BRCGS Packaging Materials Issue 7 and Position Statement P708.

BRCGS states that position statements form extensions to its standards and become mandatory from the specified implementation date. BRCGS Position Statements

Step 2: Review the Product Defence Plan

Check whether your threat assessment covers relevant risks.

Also confirm that the product defence plan remains current and that employees understand their responsibilities.

Step 3: Check Training and Competence

Review training records for employees who participate in threat assessments or product defence planning.

Where gaps exist, provide appropriate training and maintain evidence of competence.

Step 4: Review Cleaning Procedures

Check whether your procedures clearly explain:

• What to clean
• Who cleans it
• When cleaning takes place
• How cleaning is performed
• Which materials are used
• How the organisation verifies the activity

Step 5: Review Validation and Verification

Determine whether your cleaning controls have suitable validation and verification based on risk.

Keep supporting evidence available for audit review.

Step 6: Conduct an Internal Gap Assessment

Finally, compare your current system against the updated requirements.

An internal review can help identify gaps and provide time to implement corrective actions before the certification audit.

Why Is BRCGS Packaging Materials Certification Important?

Packaging plays an important role in protecting products during manufacturing, storage, transportation and distribution.

For this reason, packaging manufacturers need effective controls for safety, quality, traceability and product integrity.

Third-party certification can provide additional confidence by demonstrating that an organisation’s management system has been independently assessed against recognised requirements.

ISOQAR India offers BRCGS Packaging Materials certification as part of its Food & Agriculture certification services. ISOQAR India Food & Agriculture Certification

BRCGS Packaging Materials Training

Effective implementation also depends on competent employees.

Training can help teams understand the standard, identify relevant risks and maintain the required controls.

BRCGS Packaging Materials training can be useful for:

• Quality professionals
• Technical teams
• Packaging manufacturers
• Internal auditors
• Compliance teams
• Food safety professionals
• Employees involved in BRCGS implementation

ISOQAR India offers BRCGS Packaging Materials training within its Food Safety & Compliance training portfolio. ISOQAR India Food Safety & Compliance Training

BRCGS Packaging Materials Issue 7 Audit Readiness Checklist

Before the next audit, packaging manufacturers should ask:

☐ Have we reviewed Position Statement P708?

☐ Is our product defence threat assessment documented?

☐ Is our product defence plan current?

☐ Are employees involved in product defence appropriately trained?

☐ Are cleaning responsibilities clearly defined?

☐ Are cleaning methods and frequencies risk-based?

☐ Are cleaning records maintained?

☐ Have we assessed whether disinfection is required?

☐ Are cleaning procedures validated and verified where applicable?

☐ Have we completed an internal gap assessment?

Key Takeaway

The BRCGS Packaging Materials Issue 7 update brings additional clarity around product defence training, cleaning, disinfection, validation and verification.

The changes introduced through Position Statement P708 apply to audits conducted from 10 August 2026. BRCGS P708 Position Statement

For packaging manufacturers, the update provides a useful opportunity to review existing controls before the next audit.

Strong documentation, competent employees and risk-based controls can help organisations improve audit readiness and strengthen packaging safety.

Strengthen Your BRCGS Packaging Materials Readiness

Understanding the latest requirements can help organisations prepare their systems before an audit.

ISOQAR India supports organisations with BRCGS Packaging Materials certification and training, helping businesses strengthen packaging safety, quality and audit readiness.

👉 Explore BRCGS Packaging Materials certification and training with ISOQAR India.