The Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA) is proud to announce that all three of its members who are manufacturers of PVC (or vinyl) cling film, i.e. Cibapac Packaging, Mpact Versapak and MainWrap have passed the second round of its independent audits to confirm compliance with its Vinyl Clingfilm Compliance Framework (VCCF).

Monique Holtzhausen, Chief Executive Officer of SAVA said: “Cling film is one of the vinyl products that has frequently been criticised in the past over health concerns regarding migration levels, use of harmful substances etc. In an effort to address these issues and restore trust in the quality of cling film produced by our members, SAVA launched the a Vinyl Clingfilm Compliance Framework a little over two years ago. This initiative is based on the European Commission Regulation 10/2011 for plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food and applies to raw material suppliers, intermediate compounders, converters or film manufacturers and distributors and importers to wholesale and retail market”.

According to SAVA’s VCCF cling film manufacturers or importers (who are members of SAVA) voluntarily agree to sign a Declaration of Compliance that all raw materials, intermediates and substances used in the manufacture of their products, have been Food Approved. Moreover, the manufacturers agree to comply with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), to the use of correct and approved labelling codes together with “Intended Use “information and to have their products and documents at every level in supply chain audited by an independent SAVA representative (under a signed NDA).

Because of the complexity and size of the market, SAVA decided to follow a phased approach. The first round of audits took place in 2021 and focussed on ensuring that the necessary quality management systems are in place. The second round of audits was to ensure that all the ingredients are food compliant and that the necessary paperwork was in place. The third round of audits will take place during 2023 and will involve include blind sampling of products that will be sent away to an independent laboratory for testing to ensure compliance.

“SAVA’s VCCF is an important extension of SAVA’s Product Stewardship Commitment (PSC) as it sets standards for migration testing, migration modelling and information in the supply chain that needs to be disclosed. Members who pass these audits and meet the criteria are allowed to display SAVA’s “Green Tick” on their products as proof that no harmful ingredients were used in the cling film, that their manufacturing processes are compliant, documentation controlled, and that the necessary food approvals are in place,” Monique explains.

In addition to the SAVA audits, both Cibapac and Mpact Versapak were awarded BRC certification for meeting global standards for packaging materials - specifically for the extrusion and slitting of their PVC cling films – after passing the international audits by NSF Certification (LLC #1181). These are rigorous tests for global food safety standards that have been adopted by over 22,000 sites in more than 130 countries.

“We are incredibly proud of the fact that our members were awarded an A and AA classifications as proof of their dedication to safe and responsible production processes, as well as for passing our own auditing processes with flying colours. We believe this clearly sets SAVA members apart from non-members and cheap imports who could be guilty of questionable practices and ingredients because they are not being checked and audited. Seeing the Green Tick on the products is an important tool that communicates to retailers that the vinyl cling film does not contain any harmful chemicals, plasticisers of phthalates, and that the manufacturer is committed to Extended Producer Responsibility and are paying their levies to support the growth of the collection and recycling markets in South Africa,” Monique concludes.