European Paper Packaging Phasing Out Mineral Inks

The European Confederation of Paper Industries has published a news release concerning the use of mineral oils in food packaging.

Consumer risk issues have emerged as a result of foodstuffs containing mineral oils. These issues have drawn attention to how these mineral oils can be transferred into food when present in the inks used in recycled paper-based packaging and on the printed components of standard packaging.

Even without definitive published scientific research into how these minerals could impact on human health, the packaging industry has been moving to alleviate consumer fears by proactively lowering mineral oil levels across Europe as a whole. In certain instances, these reductions - implemented over the course of the last two years - have reached 90 per cent.

These efforts are now being expanded through a wider European commitment to retire from service all mineral oil-based printing inks used in board and paper packaging, along with mineral oil-type chemicals used in board packaging materials and food-contact paper.

Mineral Inks Phase-Out

‘No single actor has an immediate and definitive solution to addressing concerns about mineral oil migration into food', the European Confederation of Paper Industries states, in its news release on the mineral inks phase-out. ‘The paper-based packaging industry is therefore committed to working with all relevant stakeholders to better understand, and identify the most practical and effective ways to address these concerns.'

Europe's paper-based packaging industry is at the forefront of food-contact paper packaging regulation, giving the industry capacity to keep any potential for incidents down to an absolute minimum and the ability to adapt time-effectively to new scientific packaging breakthroughs.

European Paper Packaging Inks

In news related to the European paper packaging inks statement, Sun Chemical Packaging's inks are all going up in price this month as a result of unrelenting raw material costs. On average, the increase will be in the region of six per cent across the board.

"Raw materials cost and supply instability continue to significantly impact the ink industry", Sun Chemical's chief marketing officer Felipe Mellado said, in a statement made last month.

He continued: "In fact, raw materials in 2011 experienced both a record level of volatility as well as unprecedented price increases. We regret needing to take this action, but as is occurring in virtually every industry today, current market conditions demand we adjust our prices."