UK-headquartered steel producer and reprocessor Tata Steel Europe’s packaging site in Trostre, Wales, has been awarded an AA+ food packaging certification following an unannounced audit.

The classification is the Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standard (BRCGS) and is regarded as a benchmark for compliance to good practice in food industry standards.

Tata Steel Trostre food packaging standards quality specialist Howard Saxty explains “While the packaging operation at Trostre is at the end of the steelmaking process, it is the start of the line for customers who make canned goods.

“We must demonstrate to auditors that the tinplate we process is safe enough to make the tins that hold safety critical ingredients including baby formula – so compliance with the most stringent of packaging food safe standards is non-negotiable."

Reportedly, the steel packaging material doesn’t get cleaned after it leaves the site, and therefore must be food-safe before it departs.

Having achieved AA rating for the past few years, the site agreed to undergo unannounced audits, thus electing to be challenged at a higher level.

Works Manager, Joe Gallacher said: “Certification is critically important as it provides the business with a licence to operate in the food packaging industry – quite simply: no certificate, no food packaging customers.”

Tata Steel is the largest steelmaker in the UK with primary steelmaking at Port Talbot in South Wales. In 2019, the company considered selling the Trostre site in order to get approval for a proposed merger with German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp.

The company recently joined the UK Aerosol Recycling Initiative and has campaigned about the recycling of steel packaging.