Flint and Toyo Arets discuss low migration, UV LED and the next level in labels

Food packaging and low migration is a big topic, at least, in Europe and it is now in India too, said Mike Buystedt, vice president for narrow web North America for Flint Group, whose topic for the presentation was – What’s next for pressure sensitive labels – a review of innovative technologies for narrow web printers. “It matters because it’s about reputation of the product reliability and impact in profitability of the entire supply chain manufacturers like ink, packagers and brands.”

 

So what is migration? Buystedt explained, “It’s transfer of substance from packaging to the food products. This includes penetration, set off, vapour phase and condensation extractions,” he said, adding, “whether you print UV cured, solvent-based, water-based inks, varnishes, you will find potential migrants in plasticisers and monomers from plastics or inks; solvent, washes, cleaning chemicals, oils and greases.”

 

There are no standards for low migration, however, low odour products will not necessarily show low migration. And low migration does not also mean ‘no’ migration. There are barrier properties which influence UV ink selection. Labels becomes a part of package, for which low migration UV technology should be selected, said Buystedt. “A low migration UV ink is designed so that the produced printing ink film will be with the accepted migration levels, assuming correct applications, curing condition and appropriate packaging types are applied.”

 

Buystedt touched up the levels of migration accepted. “It is largely based on the toxological profile of the migrant material. In all cases, the migrant must be identified in order to carry out the risk assessment.”

 

He gave a broad recommendation for minimising migration in three areas, which included packaging design, packaging life-cycle and printing process and technology. “Communication within the packaging chain is important,” Buystedt said. For example, the raw material supplier should provide details of the substances used. The ink manufacturer should give declaration whether it is suitable and intended for a specific printing process. And while the printer should maximise migration control with a list of potential migration substances, the food packer should ensure that barrier properties and migration behaviours are maintained.

 

Buystedt other topic include UV LED, an alternative UV curing system to the mercury-based lamp. He said, the system requires inks formulation specially designed for this process. “It’s not a – drop-in – replacement for the traditional one, but a system with ink, machine and lamp. Hence, it is crucial to recognise what is the difference,” he said. “It is cheaper, eco-friendly, compact and flexible. No mercury no boredom. UV can damage your eyes but LED there is no damage to eyes. There is a full range of LEDs available in the market.”

 

The other ink manufacturer on the panel was Toyo Ink Arets India. Prashant Atre, managing director, Toyo Ink Arets India making his debut at the LMAI Conference spoke on - Narrow web - wide world. Atre said the Steraflex series is a next generation UV Inks for flexo. "With benzophenone-free being the very essential character of this ink family, these inks stand tough to the most demanding anilox or any critical food packaging needs with its low migration properties.”

 

Atre said a lot has been spoken about taking labels to the next level. But I think the next level for the label manufacturers will come from doing functional packaging as an extension of their current label business."

 

That’s because he see the promise the flexo printing with all the technological advancements it offers as well as the preferences of the customers and the brand owners.

“While making the best of the products we take a huge amount of resources from nature, we have to be equally careful and concerned about what we are giving back to nature. We are answerable to our next generation and our processes of today need to be sustainable,” asserted Atre, adding, "functional packaging will not only bring a repetition of packaging, but it will also bring enormous cost benefits as well as support sustainability."