Colbert Receives AIB Certification for Food Contact Packaging in Elkhart

AIB’s Food Contact Packaging Certification was awarded to Colbert Packaging following a rigorous inspection and audit of its Elkhart facility, which primarily manufactures folding cartons and rigid setup boxes for commercial industries, including food and confectionary products.

Nov 25 2011 --- Colbert Packaging Corporation, a leading manufacturer of folding cartons, rigid paper boxes and paperboard specialty products, announced that its Elkhart, Ind.-based manufacturing facility has been awarded a Food Contact Packaging Certification from the American Institute of Baking (AIB) International, a nonprofit organization internationally recognized for its commitment to protecting the safety of the food supply chain. AIB’s Food Contact Packaging Certification was awarded to Colbert Packaging following a rigorous inspection and audit of its Elkhart facility, which primarily manufactures folding cartons and rigid setup boxes for commercial industries, including food and confectionary products.

“We initiated the AIB Certification process at the request of our customers. We learned from our customer base that this certification is crucial to our ongoing success in providing packaging for food products, and we’re pleased to have achieved it for their benefit,” said Tim Price, vice president and general manager of Colbert’s Elkhart facility. “This is already a cGMP-compliant facility, and now, together, AIB and cGMP ensure that our Elkhart customers benefit from unparalleled levels of compliance and quality for all their packaging needs.”

The AIB Food Contact Packaging Certification represents that Colbert’s Elkhart facility meets industry best practices and strict regulatory requirements, including those established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and that the facility has been deemed to be wholesome and safe for the manufacture of food contact packaging. The certification is based on meeting AIB’s “Consolidated Standards for Inspection of Food Contact Packaging Manufacturing Facilities,” which inspects and audits the facilities, processes and procedures related to material handling, equipment maintenance, cleaning and sanitizing, pest management, and food safety programs.

Colbert’s 109,000 square foot facility in Elkhart is the largest of its four manufacturing facilities. It was once home to Barger Packaging, which was founded in 1887 and was acquired by Colbert in 2004. In addition to cGMP and AIB certifications, the facility also holds Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody Certifications, meeting strict tracking requirements for all paperboard originating from well-managed forests.