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Background
Jute bags produced from the natural fibre jute are
traditionally being used in packaging of food grade
materials like Cocoa Beans, Coffee Beans and Shelled Nuts.
At the beginning of 1990 some of the end user industries of
these materials came up with concerns for a possible
hydro-carbon contamination from jute bags. The source of
this concern was miner-al based batching oil used in the
manufacturing process of jute bags. The issue was discussed
in various international forums and studied by different
organizations. Finally, in 1998, the International Jute
Organization (IJO) introduced a standard for the jute bags
to be used in packaging of food grade materials.
The IJO standard for food grade jute bags
The universally accepted IJO Standard 98/01 stipulates
that the food grade jute bags should not contain
unsaponifiables exceeding 1250 mg/kg. (i.e. 1250 ppm). Also,
the ingredients of batching oil shall be nontoxic and no
undesirable odors or odors untypical of jute shall be
present in the bags.
BJMC's Food Grade Jute Bags
As the world's largest manufacturer and exporter of jute
products BJMC took up the issue back in 1990 in view of its
responsibility and commitment to jute. BJMC experimented
with various batching oils to develop a solution that would
remove all concerns from the customers' mind. Finally in the
same year (1990) it resolved to use refined edible palm
olein oil to eliminate possible hydrocarbon contamination.
- BJMC's products thus produced have been accepted
by various European Laboratories and end-users.
- BJMC has been supplying its food grade jute products for a
decade now with full satisfaction of the users all over the
world.
- BJMC's food grade jute bags conform to the IJO Standard
98/01.
BJMC's extra care
- Bangladesh produces the finest quality natural jute fibre.
As such BJMC has an extra advantage in manufacturing food
grade jute bags/products by using quality natural fiber.
- The batching oil (refined edible palm olein oil) is tested
regularly by the Institute of Food Science and Technology of
the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
(BCSIR) before use.
- For routine cleaning and maintenance of the machinery used
in manufacturing food grade bags/products, only vegetable
based materials are used instead of mineral based
lubricants, oils & greases as an extra precaution.
- BJMC Research Division has established special
analytical laboratory facilities for testing the food grade
bags/products during and after manufacturing as per IJO
98/01 references.
Manufacturing licence
There is a rigorous licensing requirement for manufacturing
food grade jute bags/products. The Directorate of Jute of
the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh issues
manufacturing license for producing food grade jute bags.
The licensing involves a critical assessment of the
manufacturer's processing capability, infrastructure and
other related conditions. At present six manufacturing
units of BJMC are licensed to produce food grade jute
bags/products.
Testing Certification
The Ministry of Jute has designated five Laboratories for
testing and certification of food grade jute bags. These
Laboratories are
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR),
- Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI),
- Bangladesh Standards & Testing Institute (BSTI),
- Directorate of Jute,
- SGS (Bangladesh) Limited
These Laboratories independently collect samples of food
grade jute bags/products from different manufacturers, test
these for the conformity with IJO Standard and issue
certificates accordingly.
These tests are done following the IJO 98/01 reference as
mentioned below
1. Methods for the determination of added oil con-tent of
jute yarn, rove and fabric, British Standard 3845: 1990.
2. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)
2.401.
3. Sacks for the Transport of food aid, European Standard EN
766.
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