Intertek has developed comprehensive guidelines for digital solutions providers, packaging converters, and food brands to assist with compliance of regulatory and guidance requirements.
After detailed analysis, Intertek has named HP Inc. as the first supplier to fulfill the Intertek Guidelines for the Safe Use of Printing Inks. The use of inks and fluids is a key consideration for food brands and corrugated packaging converters in all stages of the supply chain. No longer only functional and informative, digitally printed corrugated packaging has become graphically rich, serving as a marketing tool. The digital printing ink and solutions industry is faced with numerous challenges and opportunities in innovation, design, sustainability, and regulatory compliance, particularly as it pertains to food contact materials.
HP, which serves the digitally printed corrugated packaging market with its HP PageWide Press portfolio, provided Intertek with digital print samples produced on HP’s PageWide T1100 Series and PageWide C500 presses, using its true water-based inks. Intertek conducted detailed laboratory tests on these prints to measure migration limits and ensure safety requirements in accordance with global regulatory and industry guidance, including Swiss Ordinance, Nestlé Guidance, FDA, EU Framework, and others. As a result, Intertek used its Guidelines to validate HP’s safe use of Printing Inks in a clear and comprehensive summary, which can be shared with HP customers.
Eric Wiesner, General Manager, PageWide Industrial Division, HP Inc. said, “With consumer safety as HP’s highest concern, Intertek’s recognition reinforces our strategic intent to design and manufacture digital printing fluids that comply with strict regulatory requirements. This validation is key to informing our customers of our robust food-safe compliance for printing primary and secondary corrugated packaging, which requires no additional barriers.”
Naeem Mady, Vice President, Regulatory Market Access at Intertek said, “In response to the needs of the printing and inks industry, Intertek has developed these guidelines to clearly outline the requirements for food-safe digital printing inks in corrugated packaging. These guidelines offer the packaging ink industry a resource where clear and consolidated compliance guidance is currently unavailable. Intertek has announced that HP has successfully fulfilled Intertek Guidelines for the Safe Use of Printing Inks to comply with global quality and safety requirements.”