The food and beverage packaging scene is very familiar with the concept of convenience. Achieving greater convenience for consumers and the supply chain means considerations around easing transport, storage, use, and environmental impact. However, food safety compliance, while mandatory, typically remains complex. 

Any packaging in contact with food has a crucial role in ensuring food safety. Packed food must withstand the rigors of transportation and potential damage from environmental elements like rain and sun. At the same time, every material within the packaging requires food contact certification to confirm its safety and that it will not migrate into the food or drink. 

Packaging consists of different layers of plastics, paper, adhesives, and inks that are used for protection, to provide a barrier or seal, and to bring specific aesthetics to packed food on its journey from the factory to the shelf to the consumer. Coatings additives help to achieve the desired functionality and performance qualities. However, while these layers must be in close contact with each other, there should not be any migration of the additives they contain. 

For the manufacturers behind the many components in a food contact-safe solution, it can be far from simple to ensure that safety and regulatory rules are met when selecting an additive for a coating formulation. And with several food contact norms depending on the region, it can be challenging to make a confident choice quickly. 

Start from the safe additive 

To make fulfilling norms and regulations in product development processes more convenient and accessible, Clariant now offers coatings manufacturers the practical support of an online package of safe additives to use in food contact applications. 

Products include emulsifiers for binder synthesis, such as Emulsogen® EPA 073, wetting and dispersing agents like Emulsogen® LCN 287, raw materials as intermediates for thickener synthesis like Polyglykol 1000, processing aids for coatings’ additives like Emulsogen® ED 236, and additives for adhesives and printing inks like Polyglykol 400. 

Despite the range of norms, the easy-to-search solution makes it possible to find the perfect additive product fitting specific regulations quickly. It simplifies searching and removes the complicated and time-consuming need to navigate worldwide regulations and variations to find approved additives for creating a food-safe formulation for packaging. 

Fast, practical support 

To provide the industry with confidence in a food-safe choice, we have selected the most requested regulations from all over the world, examined our products for compliance, and gathered the information in one universal solution. 

Because each user will have individual needs relevant to the type of application, there is the option of accessing three different and complementary tools depending on the level of information and supporting data required. 

The online interactive selection tool enables users to filter searches by specific regulations relevant to them. Examples include, for Asia China GB 9685 with sub-sections, Europe EU 10/2011 and BfR XXXVI, and the NORAM region FDA 21 CFR 176.180 and FDA 21 CFR 178.3400. 

These search results link directly to individual product pages with data proving region-specific product safety and the opportunity to send a contact request for new products. 

The product pages offer access to food contact reports that provide a more in-depth perspective with comprehensive details on each additive, including all terms for compliance. The reports share detailed regulatory information and Substance Migration Limits (SMLs) to support coatings’ manufacturers in their own understanding and also in documenting their formulation ingredients. 

A selection guide is also available, providing an overview of all screened products and regulations (as of March 2023), which are presented in a simple, standardized table format. 

Depending on evolving customer needs, new regulations and more products will be added to the online selection tool to help users to continue to meet regulatory needs. 

Increased confidence in food safety 

For the people who depend on food-safe products, the focus on safety and global compliance offered by the tools provides them with a straightforward, intuitive, and more efficient approach to finding food-safe products. At the same time, to increase their confidence in using additives in food contact applications. 

Upholding food safety is vital, whether this applies to aluminum drinks can, a crisp packet, a chocolate bar wrapper, or bags for pasta, fresh fruit, and frozen vegetables. 

Keeping food safe is a concern for society globally in order to promote good health. As part of this, it requires safe and protective packaging to avoid the migration of packaging additives into the food. 

The new three-element package brings convenience to the process of creating food-safe packaging coatings by easing ingredient selection. At the same time, it enables the industry to offer greater transparency to packaging manufacturers to support their product selection. 

For more information on coatings additives and to access the tool, visit the webpage https://www.clariant.com/en/Business-Units/Care-Chemicals/Paints-and-Coatings/food-contact-coatings-additives.  

Words from:  

Simon Aben, Global Application Development Manager for Industrial Application, Dorothee Gabel, Application Development Manager for Decorative Coatings, and Valeria Maroncelli, Global Marketing Intern for Industrial Application 

This story first appeared in “Farm to Fork: The New Frontier of Food Safety.”