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Is water based ink food grade?

Date: Jun 03 2024  From: Star Color   


Due to their safe and environmentally friendly characteristics, water-based inks are gradually becoming the mainstream in the printing industry, but not all water-based inks are food-grade.

Whether a water-based ink is food-grade depends on its composition, production process, and whether it meets relevant food safety standards. Food-grade inks are usually used in food packaging and labels, and it is necessary to ensure that they do not contaminate food or pose a hazard to consumers' health. The following are the main requirements and standards for food-grade inks:

Requirements for Food-grade Inks

  1. Non-toxic and harmless:
    All ingredients must be non-toxic and harmless to humans.
    They must not contain heavy metals (such as lead, cadmium, mercury, etc.) and other harmful chemical substances.

  2. Migration test:
    It must pass a migration test to ensure that the ink does not migrate into food under specific conditions (such as high temperature, high humidity, etc.).
    The migration amount must be within the specified safety range, usually needing to comply with a limit of 10 ppb (parts per billion).

  3. Certification and compliance:
    It must pass relevant food safety certifications and comply with food contact material regulations.
    It needs to meet the food safety regulations of various countries or regions, such as the US FDA's 21 CFR, the EU's 1935/2004/EC regulation, and 2023/2006/EC regulation.

  4. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP):
    The production process needs to follow good manufacturing practices to ensure that the production environment and process do not cause any pollution.
    The production facilities should have strict hygiene control measures to ensure the purity of the product.

  5. Labels and instructions:
    The product label should clearly indicate its food-grade certification information.
    The instructions for use should be clear, including applicable food contact materials and usage conditions.

    water based ink

Standards for Food-grade Inks

Different countries and regions may have different standards for food-grade inks, but they usually include the following aspects:

  1. US Food and Drug Administration (FDA):
    FDA 21 CFR Part 170-199, regulations on food contact substances.
    Specifically, 21 CFR 175.300, regulations on coatings and coatings for food contact.

  2. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA):
    EU Regulation 1935/2004/EC, general requirements for all food contact materials.
    EU Regulation 2023/2006/EC, good manufacturing practices for food contact materials.

  3. International Organization for Standardization (ISO):
    ISO 22000, requirements for food safety management systems.
    ISO 9001, quality management system requirements, applicable to the production of food contact materials.

  4. Other standards and certifications:
    German BfR (Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung) recommendations.
    Swiss SR 817.023.21 regulation.

To determine whether a water-based ink is food-grade, it is necessary to check its composition, production process, and compliance with relevant food safety standards and regulations. Manufacturers should provide relevant test reports and certification documents to prove that their products meet food-grade requirements. Consumers and users should carefully review this information to ensure that the ink used meets all necessary safety standards.