Food Contact Grade Water-based Ink For French Fry Boxes: Eu Reach Standard Safety Printing

In the EU market, water-based inks used for food contact materials such as french fry boxes must strictly comply with REACH regulations (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) and other food contact material related standards to ensure their safety.

The REACH regulation implements full lifecycle management for chemical substances, requiring companies to prove that all components in ink (including pigments, resins, solvents, and additives) have been registered, evaluated, and authorized, and do not contain harmful substances. For example, heavy metals (such as lead, cadmium, mercury) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) prohibited by the European Union must not be used in ink. The migration of phthalate plasticizers and primary aromatic amines (PAA) must be strictly controlled within a safe range, with PAA migration not exceeding 0.01 mg/kg.

To verify compliance, ink needs to undergo migration testing that simulates food contact conditions. Laboratories usually use 3% acetic acid solution or 10% ethanol solution to simulate acidic or alcoholic food environments, combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technology to detect the migration of heavy metals and harmful substances. For example, the water-based ink for French fry boxes produced by a certain enterprise was tested and no phthalates were detected. The PAA migration amount was 0.005 mg/kg, which meets the EU limit requirements.

In addition, ink needs to undergo toxicological evaluation to ensure that the ingredients pose no risk to consumer health. Enterprises are required to provide ingredient lists, migration data, and compliance statements (DoC), and continuously update them to comply with regulatory trends. For example, the 2023/1442 new regulations issued by the European Union in 2023 further clarify the migration limits and testing methods, requiring the printing layer to have no risk of pollutant transfer.

In the production process, enterprises need to follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to ensure equipment cleanliness, process stability, and avoid cross contamination. For example, the printing workshop needs to control temperature and humidity, use alkaline cleaning agents to regularly maintain the mesh rollers, and prevent ink residue.

Zhejiang Dongou Printing Industry Co.,Ltd, the expert in French fried box production