By Cassandra Balentine
Part 1 of 2
Food package and label production is regulated by several agencies depending on a variety of factors. Not all digital print ink sets are cleared for use on items that come in contact with food and beverages. Understanding the rules and regulations associated with food-safe packaging and labels is essential for those that print and/or convert this type of packaging.
When it comes to food safe packaging and labels, ink is just one component of the overall package. Low migration inks are common for food packaging since it limits the transfer of ink and other components that end up on the packaged product.
Digital Packaging for Food Related Items
As digital print continues to expand its reach, it has begun to impact the packaging space. However, several considerations impact the ability to offer packaging and labels for food products.
“Today, packaging lead times are under extreme pressure and run lengths are reducing, while also having to meet a number of requirements, including providing shelf appeal, increased levels of communication on packages, be recyclable and sustainable, extend the shelf life, and be lightweight,” says Peter Saunders, business director—digital, Sun Chemical Corporation. “All of this while also taking into account the complex regulatory landscape as the industry strives to make food packaging safer,” he offers.
Low migration UV inks are becoming more common in food package labeling. “The concern is how much chemical can migrate through the packaging or adhere to top layer substrates and be transferred to food,” shares Nat Davis, digital product manager, Mark Andy Inc.
Low migration is a primary concern that involves ink formulation, explains Kenji Suzuki, director of R&D inkjet technology, INX International Ink Co. “Migration is the transfer of various components that originate from inks, adhesives, coatings, substrates, or the environment. Often, migration cannot be detected by odor or taste, but instead must rely upon chemical analysis to identify if any migration has occurred.”
Saunders adds that compliance and migration is one of the main priorities for brand owners, converters, and customers. “Once mainly concerned with conventional printing, low migration and compliance are also important factors in digital printing and if not handled correctly, could have potentially severe consequences, such as damage to a brand’s reputation and risks to consumer health,” he warns.
Achieving a package or label with low migration properties requires careful management of ink film thickness, in addition to the print speed and lamp power of the printing press. “Maintaining proper color density is also important, as a print density that is too high may adversely affect cure,” explains Suzuki.
During the packaging design stage, particular attention is spent on ensuring the correct materials are used to protect the various food products, namely board, film, foil, or plastic, comments Saunders. “The selection of inks and coatings are just as important,” he explains.
Regulations
Label and package printers and converters must follow regulations and guidelines for food safety. Certain criteria determine compliance along the entire supply chain, including the inks and curing technologies used for labeling food products. Digital print systems that support food-safe criteria further expand opportunities for converters, consumers, and packaging companies.
“Safety in food packaging is much more than a function of inks, rather, food safety is a function of construction design, substrates used, manufacturing processes, and food packaging itself. Ultimately, compliance lies with the printer and the printer’s customer,” shares Mark Schlimme, director of marketing, Screen Americas.
“It’s important to note that the responsibility for compliance of the packaging does not lie with one member of the packaging supply chain. Ownership belongs to all stakeholders, including the package designer, printer/converter, and material suppliers. The ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance rests with the company placing the packaging in the market,” explains Suzuki.
While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets regulations, ink manufacturers do not sell ink approved by the FDA, rather the ink sets available can achieve FDA approval, according to Olaf Walter, president, mprint, LLC. The manufacturer must have the ink certified, generally by a third-party agency, which determines whether the ink meets all of the requirements for food-based packaging.
Russell Szadowski, director of analytical R&D, INX International, says printing inks are regulated under 21CFR and there are multiple ways to FDA acceptance, including Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS), Food Additive Petition, Prior Sanction, Food Contact Notification, Threshold of Regulation, and No Migration. “Both GRAS or Prior Sanction are unlikely pathways due to complexity of printing ink formulations. Food Additive Petitions are also unlikely due to the lack of control afforded to the petitioner. That leaves FCN, Threshold of Regulation, and No Migration as the most used pathways towards compliance,” he explains.
“Some of the strictest guidelines Sun Chemical follows for migration compliant inks and coatings come from European entities, including the European Parliament with its REACH, Plastics, and Food Contact Materials regulations and the Swiss Federal Department for Home Affairs and its Swiss Packaging Inks Ordinance,” says Saunders.
“Depending on where the ink is used, there is the Swiss Ordinance and Nestle Guidance standards, as well as European Printing Ink Association (EuPIA),” shares Suzuki.
Suzuki comments that while EU regulations are written for the plastics industry, none exist specific to printing inks or printed materials. “However, the main concern is that there are no changes in the organoleptic qualities of the packaged food. That said, you can still glean information from the plastics PIM (EU 10/2011) when the same chemical is found in the printing ink.”
Safety First
Food-safe packaging is a complex area that involves many regulations. The entire supply chain is responsible for upholding standards, and if guidelines are not properly followed it can damage a business or brand.
The next article in this series provides details on ink sets designed for producing food-safe packaging on digital print engines.
Click here to read part two of this exclusive online series, Food Safe Inks.
Mar2018, Industrial Print Magazine