Novolex Receives Additional SQF Food Safety Certifications

On track to obtain additional certifications

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Jul 09, 2019, 08:43 ET

HARTSVILLE, S.C., July 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Novolex™, an industry leader in packaging choice and sustainability, received Safe Quality Food (SQF) third party certifications for production of food packaging materials manufactured at facilities in Alsip, Ill., Orangeville, Ont. (Canada) and Chicago.

The Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program is a rigorous and credible food safety and quality program that is recognized by retailers, brand owners, and food service providers world-wide.

SQF certifications were obtained for the first time at the Alsip facility, which manufactures packaging under the Duro^® Bag brand; and at the Orangeville facility, which manufactures a number of products including those sold under the Shields^® brand. Two Chicago facilities that manufacture Bagcraft^® products and the company's line of General Packaging^TMproducts received their annual SQF Food Safety Level (formerly Level 2) recertifications. SQF is a widely recognized standard used to qualify manufacturers of materials used in the production and packaging of food and is part of a broader framework of food industry standards under the Global Food Safety Initiative.

"We're excited to add the Alsip and Orangeville plants to our list of SQF certified facilities," said Ben Mascarello, Chief Operating Officer at Novolex. "SQF certifications tell our customers that we meet important standards for packaging quality and safety. And while every Novolex facility fulfills its customer quality requirements, third party certifications offer our customers additional validation that we are executing consistently against a tightly defined set of food safety standards."

Mascarello added: "We have a plan to continue the certification of all Novolex facilities, including those locations where it isn't expected by our current customers. We have dedicated resources to this strategically important effort as a part of our commitment to manufacturing excellence and food safety."

Certification can assure that production of materials meets the highest standards and help qualify manufacturers to meet key customer specifications. Certifying bodies follow a rigorous audit process that can take up to 12-18 months for an initial audit. The certification of the Alsip manufacturing center was performed by NSF International, an independent public health and safety organization. The Bagcraft and General Packaging Production facility audits were performed by Intertek. Audits are underway or planned at additional Novolex facilities.

The Duro Bag brand is a leading manufacturer of paper bags and sacks in North America that offers an extensive range of products for grocery, retail, pharmacy, food service and other industries. Bagcraft Packaging has been a key resource within the foodservice packaging marketplace since 1948 and provides one of the industry's broadest range of specialty bag, sheet and roll-converting capabilities to meet a wide variety of packaging applications. General Packaging Products serve the dairy, candy and confectionery, and quick service restaurant (QSR) and foodservice industries with high quality flexible packaging.

For more information about our commitment to food safety, please visit us at Novolex food safety.

About Novolex
Novolex™ develops and manufactures diverse packaging and food service products that touch nearly every aspect of daily life for multiple industries ranging from grocery, food packaging, restaurant and retail to medical applications and building supplies. The Novolex family of brands provide customers innovative paper and plastic solutions for their business needs today while investing in research and development to engineer more sustainable choices for the future. With more than 10,000 employee families, Novolex operates 60 manufacturing plants in North America and Europe, including two world-class plastic film recycling facilities. To learn more about Novolex, visit www.Novolex.com.

Media Contact
Novolex
Phil Rozenski
800-845-6051
[email protected]

SOURCE Novolex