As the topic of food labeling regulations continues to lead discussions within the food manufacturing and packaging industry, it has never been more important to ensure merchandise is coded accurately with readable use-by dates that last the entire intended lifecycle of a product. In response to this ever increasing concern among food manufacturers, Videojet (videojet.com) invests millions every year enabling their expert ink chemistry team to develop new, improved performance inks. The latest addition to Videojet’s successful 1000 Line ink range is the V418 enhanced adhesion ink.

V418 has been formulated specifically to improve adhesion and abrasion resistance on flexible film packaging commonly used in meat & poultry and fish & seafood manufacturing facilities. The environmental conditions of the packaging area and the product being packaged can present unique challenges for printing use-by dates. Heidi Wright, business unit manager for Ink at Videojet says “We listen carefully to our customers to understand the challenges they face so we can try to resolve them. Through this constant two-way conversation we discovered that certain facilities can experience poor or inconsistent ink adhesion on their products when conditions are wet or cold, or where the packaging may come into contact with oily residues or condensation.”

V418 has been carefully formulated to actively repel water and a variety of oils after drying. The ink solvents effectively penetrate through and displace oily residues on the surface and when dry, the codes can resist further oil exposure and water condensation for the intended life cycle of the product.

 Wright says “Extensive tests were performed on a number of standard industry flexible films to verify resistance to many types of oils and animal fats. We are very pleased that this new formula has unlocked new ways to help our customers produce better quality, longer lasting prints in harsh environments, especially on traditionally hard to print materials such as polyethylene.”

Videojet continues to invest in Ink Research and Development to expand their portfolio of industry standard and specialty fluids to meet and exceed manufacturers’ printing needs.