Inks for Edible Print

Resino has developed inks that allow the customer to print directly on food. The company says its edible printing ink is 100% secure and easy to use.

Development Manager Poul Erik Stenfelt says, “There are different types of colorants in food. Our focus point in the development process has been to assure a selection of colorants which can provide correct color shade and performance within the limited content allowed. The important thing is, that consumers can eat our products with absolutely no health risk.”

 Resino’s water-based REVALUX 164 and alcohol-based REFLEX 133 makes printing directly on food possible. These are available on the market to be used directly on food without safety or health risks, according to the company. The REVALUX 164 series and REFLEX 133 series consist of different types of colorant, varnishes and binders. The REFLEX 133 series inks are solvent based. The REVALUX 164 series inks are water-based. The ink components in the dried print are all food grade additives under the EU and US legislations.

These inks contain only ingredients which are suitable as food additives according to FDA§ 175.300 & Regulations (EC) 1333/2008, 1334/2008, 2232/96, 1601/91, 110/2008 and directive 2000/13/EC. All colors are made in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice and follow EU rules: (EC) 2023/2006, EuPiA, ISO 9001 and ISO 22000.

Resino’s printing inks for edible materials are approved by Eurofins, DK and J.S.Hamilton, Pl, which are independent institutes accredited for food packing approvals. They act as a third party, investigating and validating Resino’s recipes for printing inks designed for print on edible material. The quality of the products and the approval of the types of ink for printing on food apply to most markets across national borders, however, it is always necessary to enquire about compliance with local regulations.

Finally, the REVALUX 164 series and the REFLEX 133 series can be adapted for application both manually (eg. with stamp) but additionally with flexo printing, gravure printing and with InkJet. The copmany says the various techniques allow its customers to print on anything from pharmaceutical products to the food that we buy at the supermarket. This solution offers an ink which is built from food additive components, resulting in reduced resistance properties and limited color shades available, compared to conventional inks.

Inks for Direct Food Contact

Resino’s REVALUX 156-3 series is a water-based printing ink varnish specially developed to be used for foodstuff applications on coated and uncoated carton/paper as well as most packaging films. The REFLEX 146-01 and RESTINE 185-01 series are the specially designed alcohol-based printing inks for printing on flexible packaging. The company says these inks have excellent printing properties and contain only raw materials suitable for direct food contact. These inks are used for printing on packaging films intended for direct food contact as well as on medical articles.

The ingredients used are suitable for direct food contact according to FDA§ 175.300 & Food contact: Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 and products tested complies with the requirements in Commission Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 with amendments up to an including Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1338 on plastic materials and articles intended to come in contact with food. Manufacturing follows good manufacturing practices according to regulation (EC) 2023/2006, EuPiA, ISO 9001 and ISO 22000.

Based on various tests the inks described above can be used for long term contact with all types of foodstuffs for up to 40°C as well as 70°C for 2 hours or 100°C for 15 minutes. This allows the inks to be used on the inside of vegetable packages and on paper plates /cups and many other materials intended for direct food contact.

These inks can meet traditional end use resistance properties, however, the pigment suitable for this type of print results in limitations in color shades available, making the last of the three methods more favorable to some customers.

Printing Inks with a Protective Coating for Direct Food Contact

Resino offers a method where the print is protected by a clear protective coating approved for direct food contact. This solution offers specific inks made with pigments, selected to be very safe, but not necessarily approved for direct food contact - hence the need to protect the printed surface with an overprint varnish. The prints meet traditional end use resistance properties and have regular color shades available, which is why this printing method is more favorable to some customers.

Printing with an overprint varnish it is possible for the customer to choose a water-based ink and a solvent based ink. With the water-based inks you need the REVALUX 156-20 series inks, protected by the REVALUX 156-3 overprint varnish. If you choose to work with the solvent based inks, you will need the alcohol-based REFLEX 146-20 inks, protected by with the RESTINE 185-01 series overprint varnish and acetate based 181-01 series inks, protected by 185-01 overprint varnish.

The protective coating and ink ingredients (except for the pigments) are suitable for direct food contact according to FDA§ 175.300 & Food contact: Regulation (EC) 1935/2004. Simultaneously, the manufacturing follows the correct and optimal manufacturing practices according to: Regulation (EC) 2023/2006, EuPiA, ISO 9001 and ISO 22000.