Scope the audit to the item
A thermoforming plant making PP takeout boxes, an injection plant making storage boxes and a printing plant making bakery boxes need different audits. Before a visit, the desk writes down the items, the process for each, the destination market and the documents the market needs. The audit then checks whether this plant can make these items, to this specification, with this file. A plant that passes a general audit may still be the wrong choice for a thick-walled vacuum container or a hot-fill soup cup.
The checklist below is organised in the order a visit usually runs: from incoming material to the loading bay. Each item is something an auditor can see, weigh, read or test on the day.
1. Resin and material control
- Which resin grades are in the warehouse, and do the bag labels match the grade named in the supplier declaration?
- Is there a resin supplier declaration of compliance on file for each grade used for food contact items?
- Are food contact grades stored apart from general grades and from regrind?
- Is regrind used, at what share, and is it kept out of food contact items unless the declaration covers it?
- How are masterbatch and colour additives recorded per lot?
Material traceability is the foundation of the food contact file. A resin declaration is an intermediate document; the finished item still needs its own verification, but without traceable resin even a good test report applies only to the sample it was run on.
2. Molds and tooling
- Are the molds for your items in good repair, with a maintenance log?
- How many cavities does each tool have, and are cavity numbers marked on the parts?
- Who owns the molds for stock items, and can the plant show the tool for a quoted item?
- Is there an in-house or nearby toolroom for repairs?
Cavity numbers matter for containers because lid fit problems are often traced to one cavity. Plants in the Taizhou cluster, with Huangyan's mold makers nearby, usually repair tools quickly; elsewhere repair time should be asked.
3. Presses, lines and output
- Which machines run your items: injection presses by tonnage, thermoforming lines by sheet width?
- Is sheet extruded in-house or bought, and is its thickness checked?
- What share of capacity is free in your season?
- Are cycle times and output per shift recorded?
4. In-process checks
- Is gram weight checked at start-up and during the run against a written target, such as 19.6 g for the 750 ml reference box at 170x115x51 mm?
- Are key dimensions checked with gauges or calipers?
- Is lid fit checked on mixed cavities, not only on matching ones?
- Are there written tests for tilt and inversion with liquid, drop, freezer at -18 degrees C and microwave use where marked?
- Is a golden sample kept at the line for comparison?
5. Hygiene and packing room
- Are finished food contact items bagged or sleeved before they reach the carton?
- Is the packing area separated from grinding, oil and dust?
- Are workers wearing gloves and hair covers where items touch food surfaces?
- Are cartons clean, dry and stored off the floor?
- Is there pest control with a record?
6. Documents and testing
- Supplier declarations to FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 for PP, or to EU 1935/2004 and 10/2011, for the items in scope.
- Third-party migration reports, with the item, material and date matching.
- For China, reference to GB 4806.1 and GB 4806.7-2023; for paper, GB 4806.8.
- For paper and fibre items going to the US, a statement on intentionally added PFAS.
- Records of complaints and corrective actions.
Documents are issued to the partner plant or to the brand per project, never held by the desk. The auditor checks that names, items and dates match and that the report scope covers the finished, printed item.
7. Packing, warehouse and loading
- Is the pack count per carton fixed and checked, for example 200-300 sets for thermoformed boxes?
- Are cartons labelled with item, lot and date?
- Is stacking height in the warehouse controlled to avoid crushed cartons?
- Is loading supervised and photographed?
8. Extra points for paper box and printing plants
Paper box plants in the Longgang cluster need a slightly different list. Check which board grades are stocked and whether white card, kraft and foil-lined card are traceable to a mill declaration; whether the plant runs bursting strength and edge crush checks on finished boxes; how print colour is approved against a signed proof; how die lines are stored and version-controlled; and what PET or PVC film is used for windows and lids. Windows are acceptable on bakery and gift boxes because they are not heated and do not touch hot food, but the film type should still be named in the specification. For the US market, ask whether any grease-resistant coating is used and request the statement on intentionally added PFAS.
The checklist as a scoring table
| Area | Evidence on the day | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Resin control | Bag labels match declared grade | Unlabelled bags, mixed regrind |
| Molds | Maintenance log, cavity marks | Tool not shown for a quoted item |
| In-process checks | Weight and fit records per shift | No written target weight |
| Hygiene | Bagged goods, separated packing area | Loose items in open cartons near grinders |
| Documents | Declarations and reports matching items | Report for a different item or year |
| Packing | Fixed pack count, lot labels | Count varies carton to carton |
After the audit
An audit ends with a short report: what was seen, what is missing, what must be fixed before an order and what can be fixed during the first run. The desk keeps the findings in the program file, so the next audit checks whether the gaps were closed. For a new plant the first order is followed by pre-shipment inspection; for an established plant, inspection frequency can follow its record. See quality control and testing and inspection.
To have a shortlist audited before your first order, send the items and market through the quote form; audit timing fits into the sample stage shown on MOQ and lead time.