About this course
About this course
The BRCGS Global Standard for Packaging Materials Issue 7 sets the technical and audit framework for packaging sites worldwide. This three-day virtual programme qualifies auditors to assess conformity against the Standard, building on the Sites Training programme with a deeper focus on audit technique, evidence sampling and non-conformity grading.
Who should attend
The course is aimed at experienced technical staff preparing to take on second-party or third-party audit work, consultants supporting packaging suppliers through customer audits, and senior quality managers with substantial internal audit experience. Some prior exposure to auditing against an equivalent ISO or BRCGS Standard is recommended. Brand-owner technical staff auditing packaging suppliers as part of supplier approval programmes also find the content valuable, as do consultants preparing to deliver customer-facing audits on behalf of food manufacturers.
What the programme covers
Day one revisits the Standard at clause level, with particular attention to hygiene categories and the interface clauses with the Food Safety Standard. Day two covers audit management, the BRCGS Scheme rules for auditors, opening and closing meetings, evidence sampling, interview technique and note-taking discipline. Day three runs practical audit exercises against simulated site scenarios, with daily assessment of participation and technique. The programme addresses the specific evidence challenges of packaging audits, including foreign body risk, chemical migration testing, hygiene category determination and the distinctive interpretations that apply across rigid plastic, flexible film, paper and board, metal and glass manufacturing environments.
Assessment and certification
The course includes daily written assessment and a final examination. A pass earns the official BRCGS Certificate of Achievement, which is the recognised qualification for packaging auditors registered to the BRCGS Scheme. The certificate supports registration with most accredited certification bodies operating the Packaging Materials Scheme.
Course format and delivery
The programme runs over three consecutive days in a live virtual format with a BRCGS Approved senior trainer. Sessions combine methodology teaching with structured audit exercises, peer feedback and case study discussion. Delegates complete pre-course reading and receive detailed audit technique guidance for reference after the programme.
Why this matters
Packaging audit technique differs meaningfully from food manufacturing audit technique, particularly around hygiene category interpretation, foreign body risk and chemical migration. Formal training reduces subjectivity and gives auditors the confidence to stand behind their findings during appeal and calibration exercises. The programme is most valuable when taken after the BRCGS Internal Auditor qualification and is often paired with the BRCGS HACCP course to round out technical auditing capability. Delegates progressing towards wider third-party audit work often add the Food Safety Auditor Training and the Lead Auditor programme to their qualifications.
See all BRCGS courses and training or review the wider course catalogue for related technical programmes.
