|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Usage of food-safe inks while packaging
|
|
Wednesday, 01 June, 2016, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
Neelakamal Mohapatra
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d fiogf49gjkf0d Printing ink is an integral part of packaging products. When we consider food packaging, then the importance of “food safety” is applicable to the total packaging including printing ink. Long before the public became aware, a number of scientific publications had already revealed the migration potential of substances present in prints. The first big migration scandal in 2005, findings of isopropyl thioxanthone (ITX, a low molecular photoinitiator used in UV inks) in baby milk and other liquid foodstuffs were reported, all over Europe, in the year 2005 and caused several product recalls. This food scandal alerted the packaging chain about the migration potential of substances from printing inks. Due to the complexities involved in designing the composition of the printing inks, the risk of migration of the ink component to the food needs to be considered starting from the selection of the raw materials. Siegwerk as a member of EuPIA (European Printing Ink Manufacturing Association) has adapted processes and controls to deliver inks for food packaging with lower migration potential.
Specially manufactured inks to suit different requirements
Most of the regulations work with similar principles. Packaging materials and articles shall be manufactured in compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) so that, under normal or foreseeable conditions of use, they do not transfer their constituents to food in quantities which could endanger human health; or bring about an unacceptable change in the composition of the food; or bring about a deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics. The company’s efforts to supply the safest inks in the world go far beyond legal requirements. Basically the company is committed to full compliance with the EuPIA (European Printing Ink Association) guidelines. Beyond that, food packaging inks by the company are formulated and manufactured taking into consideration many individual and varying parameters relating to substrate, application and end-use. Not only are toxic substances excluded based on explicit exclusion criteria but moreover all food packaging inks are designed to minimise the potential for the transfer of ink components of concern into food, whilst meeting the high end-use requirements.
Food grade inks or safe inks
The company formulates ink to ensure safety of workers in ink manufacturing, converters and print shop workers, as well as consumers. Moreover specific care is taken about the brand owner requirements and safety of branded products. Our ink formulators need to know not only composition and purity of raw materials, chemical interactions with other materials, application requirements; but also conversion processes, ink production, printing, lamination, packaging, consumer usage, waste cycle to select the right solution for a certain application. Toxicological data have heavily influenced the raw material selection and development of new raw materials in the last few decades. Ink formulators working hand in hand with HSE specialist to ensure PSR (Product Safety and Regulation) compliance.
Cross contamination of non-compliant inks can be minimised by keeping same ink type per job, dedicated machine room, and or printing press, excellent in-house; ink room management processes, excellent job change procedures, printed reel and transport / storage conditions. Converters need full transparency on possible migrants for management of food safety. The company supports the converters in providing qualified information on migrants through SoC (statement of compositions). In Indian market, “Toluene Free (TF)” or “Non-Toluene Non-Ketone (NTNK)” inks are considered to be safe. However, this is not always true. Even other substances which are part of the supplied raw material such as process aids and additives may contain potential migrants and end up as part of the ink system which can migrate into the food and in turn makes it unacceptable for human consumption.
Consultancy services on inks and regulations to be safe
In the company, we don’t just sell inks, we sell “Ink Solutions.” This implies that our sales and technical team cooperates with our customers to understand their packaging and application requirements including product safety demands. In addition, the company offers a web-based product safety portal accessible 24/7 for structured information, documents including material safety datasheet (MSDS), updated brochures and guides for practical usage. We answer customers‘ questions & evaluate challenging issues by offering suggestions and support on all relevant legislations and regions.
Support in food packaging development
In Siegwerk, we rely on three important steps to support safe and compliance packaging. The primary step is to utilise a centrally coordinated global raw material approval process, to be followed by globally approved “Formulation Guidelines,” ensuring non-use of hazardous and unwanted substances and raw materials. In addition, we provide product safety guidance on how to use inks, share statement of compositions and support risk evaluation and migration potential on individual packaging. Most importantly, we proactively participate in association work on product safety to set standards, offer trainings, workshops, Q&A guides, brochures, consulting and comprehensive online information.
Regulations of FSSAI in India for food packaging
In India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety. FSSAI has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Food Packaging
The ‘Food Safety and Standards Act’ (FSSA, No. 34 of 2006) introduces regulation on food contaminants, in particular including contaminants from packaging. Specific provisions on packaging are detailed out in the ‘Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011. Section 2.1.1 (2) regulates plastics in contact with food, stating generally that “containers made of plastic materials should conform to the following Indian Standard Specification (IS)” (followed by a list of 10 Indian Standards on 10 different plastic types previously issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards). These standards include overall migration limits (identical to those in the EU) and/or positive lists of authorised substances for the 10 plastic types (but not for printed layers), with maximum concentration limits.
Ink
The voluntary Indian Standard IS 15495:2004 ‘Printing ink for food packaging – Code of practice’ prescribes guidelines for printing inks for use on food packages. The standard differentiates among four categories of printing inks:
The exclusion list in Annex A comprises pigments and compounds based on antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium (IV), lead, mercury and selenium as well as several dye colorants, solvents, plasticisers and other compounds (e.g. dioxines, nitrosamines and others).
It is less demanding than the JPIMA and EuPIA exclusion lists – in particular, toxic phthalate ester plasticisers usable in solvent-based inks are not banned, the aromatic hydrocarbon-based solvent “Toluene” is not restricted.
6. Controlling migration to food product
Migrants are substances which, due to their chemical characteristics and molecular size, transfer from a printed layer into the packed food. Polymeric materials are generally large molecules without migration potential, thus they are usually not regarded as migrants. In addition, if ever ingested, polymeric substances with molecular weights above 1000 Daltons are not absorbed by the gastro-intestinal tract and thus are not considered by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to present a toxicological risk. Inorganic materials (such as white titanium dioxide pigment, calcium carbonate fillers, silica matting agents) are crystalline particles and therefore not migrants.
Types of migration
1) Set-off migration
Migrants can migrate from one layer to another, such as a surface printed layer to the non-printed food-contact surface which is later on brought into contact with food. If these are in direct or close contact like in a reel or a stack after printing, set-off migration can occur due to the pressure existing in the reel or stack.
2) Diffusion migration
Small and mobile molecules can easily penetrate into and diffuse across packaging material layers. This can occur even if the printed material has not yet been converted into a food package and filled with food, or later on when the printed package is filled with food and the food starts to ‘extract’ the migrants from the packaging material.
3) Gas-phase migration
Migrants can also migrate from a cardboard (the ‘releasing reservoir’) via the gas phase within the pack, to end up in food which acts as ‘recipient reservoir’ (gas phase migration). This can, for example, occur with migrants such as mineral oils or some UV photoinitiators that might not be generally known as being volatile such as organic solvents.
When doing migration testing, it is critical to consider the complete packaging value chain. The right choice of ink and related materials such as adhesives, barrier properties of substrates. Design of packaging, conversion of the substrates, packaging and storage conditions must be integral for controlling migration.
It is critical to be aware of migration principles and related regulations. The more we know and apply food safety concepts towards packaging, the better we can provide our consumers a “peace of mind.” We, at Siegwerk, are always ready for support and are prepared to be challenged on our part of responsibility along the packaging chain.
(The author is head,(flexible packaging), technology development, Siegwerk India Pvt. Ltd)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|