Page 38 - Food&Drink Magazine October 2021

HYGIENE & SAFETY
The varnishing touch
With its award-winning SafetoShare Varnish,
Twelve8 Technology has
a packaging solution for hygiene and safety concerns in the COVID-19 era. This is an abridged version of the company’s white paper on this new way to protect surfaces and mitigate the spreading
of germs and viruses.
COVID-19 has heightened the awareness of the public regarding risks of transmission of germs and disease through common areas of touch. The virus is mainly transmitted in the air, but it can also spread from infected people to surfaces they touch. Others may then touch the infected surface, unconsciously put their fingers in their mouths or eyes, and become infected.
The risk is exacerbated as the virus can remain active on surfaces for some time. Experiments found that COVID-19 can still be detected on stainless steel and plastic after 72 hours; cardboard surfaces up to 24 hours; and copper surfaces up to four hours.
There are also many other potentially infectious bacteria, viruses, yeasts, and moulds that can survive on surfaces for considerable amounts of time, with risky surfaces existing across multiple industries.
The food and beverage industry is a particular touch point. Most home delivered
foods or take-aways are packaged in plastic, paper or cardboard. There is a risk that diseases may be transmitted through this means.
The packaging of foods and other items is mainly to protect the food from bacteria and other contaminants. However, the packaging itself can play a role in mitigating the transmission of germs and disease and protect the consumer.
Companies have been searching for a solution, especially in the food service industry, to ensure their packaging is risk free. Some have looked at covering packaging with a protective layer, but that extra layer could also get contaminated. A disinfectant spray was considered, but deemed too time consuming, short lived, and could contaminate food content. And in the case of paper packaging, it could cause the cardboard or paper to disintegrate due to moisture.
We decided to research if there is any way that the
packaging itself can be protected from contaminants and germs? We realised a much better way would be to prepare the packaging with a coating that would either repel or kill germs with which it comes into contact with them.
VARNISH SUCCESS
Twelve8 Technology has the distribution rights for the Gold Edison Award-winning nanotechnology SafetoShare varnish, a revolutionary packaging protective product that reduces any risk of transmission or contamination of paper and carboard products.
It is a patented clear protective film finish that can be used on cardboard boxes including pizza boxes; other cardboard food packaging including trays; paper bags; tray liners; and other paper products.
There are two varnish variants – oil or water based – which can be applied through a printing press and offline varnish machine. Both repel and kill up to 99 per cent of viruses and bacteria.
38 | Food&Drink business | October 2021 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au