Migration from Printing Inks A Food Contact Study

48 Pages·0.618 MB·English

by  Pira International Ltd

food contact > e-book
Migration from Printing Inks:
A Food Contact Study
this e-book is designed to examine the concerns, possible
solutions in the form of new ink formulations and materials
and define the responsibilities of the members of the
packaging supply chain in the packaging area.
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Migration from Printing Inks: A Food Contact Study
Pira Business Intelligence
linda M. Casatelli
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table of contents
Executive Summary 3 4
Introduction
Packaging trends
regulatory landscape
Shared responsibility Printing Inks for Food Packaging Regulatory Landscape
Printing Inks for Food Packaging Printing Ink Components Introduction
Materials types of Inks United States
Future trends Printing Methods Canada
1 4Flexography Japan
4Gravure european Union
4Inkjet 4Framework regulation (eC) no. 1935/2004
4offset 4european Council resolution resAP (2005)2
Introduction and Methodology 4electron Beam 4GMP regulation (eC) no. 2023/2006
objective 4Screen Switzerland
Scope Parameters in Printing 4Swiss ordinance 817.023.21
Methodology types of Food Packaging Material Brand owner Guidelines
Definitions 4Glass and Metal Summary
2 4Fiber Materials 5
4Plastics
4Biomaterials
Migration Mechanisms
The Food Packaging Industry 4Migration levels Future Trends for Printing Inks
Introduction Migration Assessment via worst-Case Calculation Introduction
Food Packaging trends 4Factors Contributing to Migration Material Considerations
recurrent Concerns about Migration Summary 4Functional Barriers
Shared responsibility 4Bio-Based Polymers
Summary Ink Formulations
4low-Migration Inks
4Additional Considerations
Brand owner Involvement
emerging regulations
Summary
List of Tables and Figures
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food contact > e-book > migration from printing inks: a food contact study
Executive Summary
Introduction this movement is a concern for product safety. there have been
Packaging has always played an important role in the food supply several instances in the past several years where migration from today, there are
chain, protecting food stuffs and establishing brand identity. even inks printed on the package has transferred into the food. In 2005, several significant
in tough times, it has been a growth area. today, there are several food contamination was linked to 2-isopropylthioxanthone (ItX)
trends in food
significant trends in food packaging: graphics, sustainability and a low-weight photoinitiator that is used is several UV-curable inks
packaging: graphics,
regulation, each of which presents challenges to ink suppliers. formulations. It was found in nestlé’s infant products manufactured
sustainability and
by tetra Pak. A more recent incident involved 4-methylbenzophene
Packaging Trends and benzophenone—again, a low-weight photoinitiator used in regulation, each
Because so many buying decisions are made in the retail store some UV inks. the contaminant was found to be above threshold of which presents
itself, packaging has become a means of promoting brands levels in chocolate muesli in Germany in early 2009, even though challenges to ink
with the use of colorful and intricate graphics and special the breakfast cereal was packed in polyethylene pouches inside the
suppliers.
effects. However, these specialty inks and materials can often cardboard boxes.
decrease production efficiencies. In the packaging area, as in so
many aspects of our lives, concern for the environment has also Regulatory Landscape
become a driving force. In the effort to reduce packaging waste, A consequence of the ItX case was the regulation (eC)
downgauging and source reduction have become important in 2023/2006 issued by the european Commission. while earlier
package design. Moreover, there is a further movement towards regulations stated that food contact materials should be safe, this
sustainability, so there is a push for inks and materials that are was the first time that printing inks were explicitly targeted for
manufactured from renewable resources. However, sustainable inks regulation. with each successive incident, there is a move towards
are not always the best choice for specific packaging situations. For more restrictive regulation, particularly in europe, and ink makers
example, for many packaging materials, particularly non-absorbent have to convince brand owners once again that their inks will not
substrates used in flexible packaging, water-based inks do not migrate into food via packaging in harmful amounts. In the United
always offer the needed properties and production efficiencies. the States, the FDA regulates direct and indirect food additives. while
challenge in this area for the ink maker is helping their customer it does not regulate indirect food contact materials such as printing
understand that the ink printed on a package represents a small inks, it does stipulate that when such materials come in contact
portion of the total carbon footprint. with food, they must meet indirect food additive criteria for safety.
the trend in packaging that concerns us most in this e-book is the TABLE 0.1 Comparison of global regulations CLICK TO VIEW TABLE
increasing regulation of packaging inks. the overriding force in
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food contact > e-book > migration from printing inks: a food contact study
the latest regulation is a Swiss ordinance, which creates an A actually cure to form a solid, almost plastic, film. electron beam
list of substances that can be used in printing inks and a B list (eB) inks contain no photoinitiators and cure by means of an
of unevaluated substances. Sources speculate that the Swiss electron beam.
regulations, which are the most restrictive, might become the
standard for all of europe. Because of the diversity of packaging products, many different inks
are needed, and many different printing processes are used. In
Shared Responsibility the past, gravure was the dominant printing process because of its
Another consequence of the migration occurrence was the high quality and process reliability. As flexo’s quality has increased,
realization that there needs to be cooperation on the part of all the so has its role in the packaging market. offset is used mainly
members of the food supply chain. Although the new regulations for printing folding cartons, with some expansion into flexible
explicitly state that the final package must meet compliance—an packaging. Despite it set-up advantages, digital printing is a low
area that falls under the printer/converter’s responsibility—that throughput process, so it is still not very mainstream for packaging.
compliance cannot happen unless everyone does their part to work However, that is also changing as technological developments
together towards that goal. Package design, specification, choice of improve production efficiencies. offset uses paste inks; the other
printing process, as well as ink, substrate, printing plant conditions, printing processes use liquid inks.
drying method—these are but some of the factors that can affect
potential ink migration and final compliance. All printing processes and all standard printing inks have the
potential to migrate. the materials which contain the greatest
FIGURE 0.1 Steps and responsibilities for food packaging compliance potential to migrate would be plasticizers, monomers, solvents, and
other low molecular-weight (typically with a molecular weight of
Printing Inks for Food Packaging less than 1000 Daltons) components of inks and coatings.
Graphic arts inks are a mixture of pigments or dyes (which provides
CLICK TO VIEW color) suspended in a vehicle/varnish (resin, which provides specific Materials
characteristics) along with additives to enable it to transfer to there are a variety of materials used for food packaging including
a substrate. this third component—additives— provides special glass, metal, plastic, fiber-based and bio-based materials. Glass and
properties that cannot be achieved by the pigment and varnish metal offer excellent protection and act as functional barriers. the
alone. Ultraviolet (UV) inks are a different breed, containing others have potential for ink migration in varying degrees.
photoinitiators and oligomers, which enable the components in
the ink to cross link into a polymer when exposed to UV light and
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food contact > e-book > migration from printing inks: a food contact study
TABLE 0.2 Barrier properties of different materials Future Trends
Barrier properties Materials As the package printing industry moves forward, many of the
Poor Coated paper, uncoated paper, coated board, uncoated trends in the market today will continue. there will be movement
board, regenerated cellulose, polyethylene, polypropylene,
towards sustainability, thus source reduction and downgauging;
adhesive layers, printing varnish or lacquer coating layers.
coupled with a move towards more flexible packaging. the use
limited Polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinylidene
chloride, metallization layers. of bio-based materials will increase, but not without challenges.
Better Appropriate silicon dioxide aluminum oxide layers on However, the most significant factor driving the industry will
polyethylene terephthalate, sufficiently thick layers of
be the movement to ensure food safety. As such, low migration
polypropylene.
inks, already introduced, will become more widespread as ink
Source: Siegwerk Ink manufacturers seek to develop products to meet customer needs
and comply with increasingly strict regulations.
Migration can occur through three different methods:
1. Diffusion migration, whereby the substance transfers or diffuses,
can happen both while the printed material is not yet converted
into a food package or after it is filled with food.
2. Set-off migration occurs when migrants ‘jump’ from one layer to
another, for example from a printed layer to a non-printed layer.
later, that non-printed layer is brought into contact with food
and the migrants contaminate the food.
3. Gas phase migration is a term used when migrants ‘fly’ from one
layer to another.
Potential migrants from a printed surface in most cases result from
ink additives. there are also several conditions that may increase
the amount of migrants in an ink layer and/or affect the diffusion
of migrants. these include the drying process, print shop behavior
and packing.
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food contact > e-book > migration from printing inks: a food contact study
1 Introduction and Methodology
Objective Because these inks are not supposed to come in contact with the
Because of several cases of food contamination as a result of food and may be toxic, a transfer or migration of small molecules this e-book is
migration from packaging inks, there is increased concern about through a material layer from such inks can cause a safety issue. intended to
food safety in the printed package. the e-book is designed to
examine current
examine the concerns, possible solutions in the form of new ink the e-book will first examine current trends in the packaging
issues surrounding
formulations and materials and define the responsibilities of the industry and the effect those trends have on the selection of
migration from
members of the packaging supply chain in the packaging area. packaging inks. It will also discuss the concerns that have arisen in
ensuring the ultimate safety and compliance of the final printed regard to migration of packaging inks into food substances. It will packaging inks.
package is a collaborative effort requiring cooperation from all the outline the role of the various members of the packaging supply
players along the supply chain. chain in minimizing migration. these members include package
designers, ink manufacturers, printers/converters, and brand owner.
Scope
this e-book is intended to examine current issues surrounding Because so many different products are printed with packaging
migration from packaging inks. Packaging inks are printing inks inks, the term encompasses all types of inks used in most of the
and varnishes intended to be printed on the non-food contact major printing processes, including flexo, gravure, inkjet, offset and
surface of materials and articles intended to come into contact screen including solvent-based, waterborne, oleo-resinous or energy-
with foodstuffs. Substances, including packaging inks that might curing (UV or electron beam) formulas. the study will examine
come in contact with food, such as on the outside of a food bag or the various components of packaging inks and their potential as
carton, are defined as indirect contact. migrant substances. Because it is the printed package, not just the
inks that must meet regulatory compliance, the study will include
there is a category of inks that are non-toxic and can therefore information on conditions within the printing environment that
be used to print directly on food. In essence, they become an can affect migration, as well as the various substrates used as
indirect food additive. Used for food, medical and pharmaceutical packaging materials.
products, these substances/inks are considered direct food contact.
An example of such inks is those used to print the ‘M’ on M&M As safety concerns increase due to migration potential, the
candies. there is one company, Colorcon no-tox Products that inevitable government regulations follow. A section is dedicated
manufacturers the majority (if not the entirety) of direct food to the various frameworks, regulations, resolutions and ordinances
contact inks. these inks are not within the scope of this e-book. currently mandated in europe, as well as the U.S and Canadian
this study will only examine indirect or non-contact packaging inks. guidelines.
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