Swiss rules on inks used in printing, packaging products may mean stricter standards in Europe, says expert, who expects UV, EB inks to grow considerably given their advancements, advantages in food packaging

Bdebbie Garcia

LOS ANGELES , September 28, 2011 (Industry Intelligence) – Ink producers could face progressively stricter standards in Europe after Switzerland’s recent enactment of stringent guidelines on use of inks in printing and packaging products, said an industry expert, reported Food Production Daily on Sept. 28.

The industry could find it difficult to meet these standards, said Don Duncan, research and development chief for U.S.-based Wikoff Color Corp., in an interview.

Ultra-violet (UV) and electron beam-cured (EB) inks have come under closer scrutiny over the past decade due to wrongly-formulated product that led to two food recalls, after chemicals migrated into baby food and, in 2009, the substance 40methylbenzophenone leached into breakfast cereals.

At the time, it was rumored that Nestle NV and the European Union had banned UV and EB inks, but these were wholly incorrect, Food Production Daily reported.

The image problem with the inks can be overcome with effective communications between printers and packaging suppliers as to the end use of the product, to ensure that ink formulas contain only food-contact substances when the product is going to be consumed, said Duncan.

Used correctly, UV and EB inks are safe and should grow substantially in food packaging, where they have clear advantages and given the advancements made in the inks’ performance, he said, reported Food Production Daily.

The primary source of this article is Food Production Daily, Montpellier, France, on Sept. 28, 2011.

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