Flexocure ANCORA Anchoring food safety, performance and full compliance

Version: April 2011

Safe food packaging – A common effort along the value chain

A number of common principles exist for the production of ‘safe’ food packaging, particularly in relation to migration issues. Firstly, responsibility for compliance of the packaging does not lie with one single individual member of the packaging supply chain. It is in the ownership of everyone concerned, including the printer, although ultimately it is the responsibility of the person placing the pack on the market who must ensure compliance. To maximise food safety it is essential that all parties in the packaging chain are cooperating and communicating closely with regard to specifications and requirements:

Food packaging is naturally also the subject of extensive legislation, which applies to all the packaging components of a packaged food – including the label. The prime legal requirements which are thus also relevant for all types of inks (including UV inks) are summarised in the following table:

The prime general legal requirements for food packaging

Region/Country Relevant legislation Main relevant aspects for the food packaging chain

European Union member states Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council

• No unacceptable change in food characteristics

Commission Regulation (Eu) No. 10/2011 • Setting out of migration limits for substances

Commission Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006 (effective April 2010)

• Need to operate to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

Switzerland Ordinance of the FDHA on Materials and Articles (817.023.21) (only CH)

• For Switzerland only: All ink raw materials for food packaging have to be listed

USA FDA, title 21 CFR • Functional barrier required in case of direct food contact of the ink

Canada CFIA & “Health Canada” • Setting out of food packaging standards• Recommend “Letter of No Objection” for

any packaging that may come in contact with food (unless functional barrier)

Australia/NZ Australian Standard AS 2070–1999 • Strong reference to the EU approach

Japan Food Sanitation Law • Contamination of foodstuff by their packaging must be avoided

China Legislation GB9685-2008 • List of materials that are allowed to be used in food packaging

Concrete lists of substances to be toxicologically evaluated

Discuss safety aspects, deliver toxicological assessments

Raw materialsuppliers

Inkmanufac-turers

Printers FoodPackers

Discussion on printer’s own migration control, with lists of potential migratory substances

Discussion on barrier properties & migrationbehaviour

Concrete specifications: which migration levels are acceptable vs. specific food type & required print & packaging design

Concrete specifications: which substances are ok & not ok, vs. specific prin-ting process, design, …

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u i o

Flexocure ANCORA food safety & compliance for all applications

Food packaging is a sensitive area, and manufacturers in this segment must focus on the highest levels of manufacturing controls in line with the imperative of protecting the consumer. When it comes to UV printing, the use of so called low-migration inks is strongly recommended to minimise the risk of migration.

With the true low migration UV flexo ink Flexocure ANCORA you don’t have to make any compromises as you will be able to:

comply with the demands of the food packaging legislation and

cover a wide range of applications:

“Low migration” – What does it mean?

Low-migration inks are based on formulations that are optimised with respect to their migartion properties. The definition of the “European Printing Ink Association” (EuPIA) says: A “low migration ink” designed for use on food packaging is formulated using selected components which should ensure that migration from the resultant printing ink film will be within accepted migration limits.

How true low migration UV inks work The components used in low migration UV inks as well as the curing process are at first glance the same or similar to any other UV radical curing ink:

Prepolymers Adhesion properties, pigment wetting

Monomers Viscosity, cure rate, adhesion

Photo initiators Curing properties

Pigments Shade, strength, lightfastness

Additives Flow agents, silicons, stabiliser

Wax Slip, scratch resistance

For low migration inks however, the molecular weight of most components tend to be greater. The changes in formulation style is to minimise migration as higher molecular weight substances are less likely to migrate above their specific migration limits.

Paper labels

Thermal labels

Film labels

Unsupported film labels

Shrink sleeves

Cartons

Sachets & pouchets

Youghurt lids

Flexible packaging

Flexocure ANCORA

Flexocure ANCORA – No compromises in food safety and performance

For Flexocure ANCORA we have conducted migration tests at several independent institutes, as well as in our own analytical laboratories. The migration measurements have shown, that when correctly applied on suitable packaging structures migration levels with Flexocure Ancora are below currently accepted limits (migration below established specific migration limits or 10 ppb for unevaluated substances is achievable). This was verified based on the standard migration test method using the food simulants, 95% ethanol and Tenax as set out in Commission Directive 97/48/EC. Furthermore we have the confirmation of leading end users that the ingredients used in Flexocure Ancora are meeting their company guidelines.

Flexocure ANCORA – No compromises in food safety

compliant with the “low migration” definition of EuPIA

designed to meet the stringent demands of Swiss Ordinance

compliant with Nestlé Guidance Note for packaging inks

offering very low migration properties

Flexocure ANCORA – No compromise in performance!

It is a delicate balance to formulate a true low migration UV flexo ink, as when using new higher molecular weight ingredients, viscosity and printability may suffer. Flexocure Ancora however contains a unique and carefully balanced range of raw materials that will work with all types of UV lamps and ensure high performance in all printing aspects, such as:

e Very good curing – improved productivity as high speed printing is possible

r Low viscosity – providing easy handling of ink on press

t Low foaming characteristics – retain good uptime during press runs

u Good flow out on synthetic substrates – no pinholing or mottling of print

i Excellent adhesion properties – Flexocure ANCORA adheres to a wide range of synthetic substrates – it is perfect for use in both label and packaging applications

o Minimum plate swell and good printability – printers will experience consistent high quality printing

p Excellent colour strength – full performance like standard inks

Flexocure ANCORAproperty

Benefit to you Example

Very good curing properties

Improved productivity and improved security (compared to standard UV flexo ink)

Low viscosity Better transfer & productivity

Excellent adhesion

Productivity – one ink for all label and packaging substrates (com-pared to standard UV ink)

Low foaming Productivity – uptime on press

Flexocure ANCORA | Anchoring food safety, performance and full compliance

0 60 100

100%

90%

80%

70%

Curing performance

Printing speed (m/min)

Ancora Standard UV flexo ink

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Adhesion performance

Stand. K

Ancora K

Stand. C

Ancora C

Stand. M

Ancora M

Stand. Y

Ancora Y

Stand. = Standard UV flexo ink

Standard UV flexo inkFLEXOCURE ANCORA – minimum foaming

Flexocure ANCORA – No compromises in performance

For more details please also see the Flint Group brochure

“Food Packaging: A Guide to Best Practice for Print”

For more info please contact us under info.narrowweb@flintgrp.com

The information contained herein is based upon data believed to be up-to-date and correct at the time of writing. It is provided to our customers (and / or Analytical Contractors) in order that they are able to comply with all herein mentioned applicable health and safety laws, regulations, and orders. In particular, customers in the EU are under an obligation to carry out a risk assessment under relevant Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in-line with EU food contact legislation and as a result take adequate risk management measures to protect food consumers. Where applicable legal obligations or provisions are not mentioned within this document, this does by no means indicate that we deem such obligations or provisions irrelevant or less relevant than those mentioned within the document. The statements in this document are not provided or deemed to be provided as legal advice and you should seek the advice of a legal counsel to understand all of your obligations.

Food Safety beyond low migration inks …

To maximise food safety Flint Group will support customers and help to put correct GMP (Good Manufacturing Process) procedures in place. This includes several factors which are affecting the final packaging and thus contribute to meeting the stringent demands in food packaging:

The design of the packaging

amount of ink per surface unit

substrate type and thickness

functional barrier perfor-mance of the substrate

size of pack/container and total print area

Other practical parameters for food packaging

pack contents – food/liquid?

time and pressure conditions in the stack or reel

storage times and conditions

length of time in contact with food packaging

expected maximum shelf life

special processing conditions for packs – e.g. sterilisation, pasteurisation, heating, cooling

In the printroom

print process and type of press

print speed

achieving a true barrier

conventional drying or energy curing?

+ choosing the right UV lamp

surface print, reverse print, overlamination?

likely level of residual solvents

The use of additives