Page 37 - Packaging News Jan-Feb 2020

When molecules are structured to help make more protective multiuse packaging, food can stay fresh longer.
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Watch out for ink migration
With ink migration a serious concern for manufacturers printing food, beverage, and pharmaceutical packaging, HP Specialty Printing Systems bills its HP 2580 and HP 2590 solvent inks as a safe and compliant product for coding and marking applications.
HEN printing packaging and la- bels for applica- tions such as food, beverage, and pharmaceuti- cal, manufactur-
ers and converters need to be mindful of ink migration – as even chemicals on non-food- contact surfaces can wind up in the product, as Darren Knott, strategic alliance man- ager of HP Specialty Printing Systems (Australia), explains.
“When coding and marking text and bar codes are printed on the non-food contact sur- face of food packaging, the ink does not have direct contact with the food. However, chem- ical substances from the ink may transfer through the food packaging to the food, through a process called migration.
“The extent of ink migration is dependent on the type and thickness of the packaging ma- terials used, the chemical composition of the ink, the temperature(s) that the pack- aged food is stored in, the du- ration of contact between the
food packaging and the food, and other factors,” says Knott.
According to Knott, the HP 2580 and HP 2590 solvent inks, used in HP's thermal inkjet sys- tems, have been tested in ac- credited analytical laboratories. The tests examined their com- pliance with overall and specif- ic migration limits when used to print coding and marking text and bar codes on non-food contact surfaces of packaging under specified use conditions.
“Food and pharmaceutical manufacturers operate with- in a complex and strict regu- latory environment, where consumer safety is of para- mount concern.
“HP 2580 and HP 2590 inks can be used to print coding and marking text and bar codes on the non-food contact surface of many types of food packaging, in compliance with applicable regulations and commonly referenced indus- try standards,” says Knott. ■
ABOVE: HP says its HP 2580 and HP 2590 solvent inks are safe and compliant for coding and marking.