Sun Chemical reveals its new direct food contact sheetfed ink for folding carton alongside a green pigment for its water-based ink portfolio – both designed to help brands comply with EU sustainability and food safety requirements.
SunPak DFC inPace is set to help manufacturers and brand owners reduce plastic consumption and improve recyclability – especially as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements increase demand for sustainability-minded packaging options.
Alongside Sun Chemical’s proprietary Pace Technology, SunPak DFC inPace and DFC coatings are expected to unlock direct food contact compliance while simplifying recyclable packaging designs and eliminating plastic laminates and inserts. Both solutions reportedly contain high biobased carbon content, verified through Carbon 14-testing.
They are also set to reduce production steps and material usage, lower potential EPR fee reductions, and improve internal package printing for stronger consumer engagement – creating engaging experiences without compromising on performance.
Meanwhile, Sun Chemical has expanded its AquaSafe water-based DFC ink portfolio – a lineup of inks designed for compatibility with paper, paperboard, flexible films, and aluminium foil. These are hoped to help brands replace plastic barriers with sustainability-minded packaging solutions without compromising on food safety or performance.
Both SunPakDFC inPace and AquaSafe offer an extended colour gamut of nine new base colours, including a new food-compliant green pigment. This wider palette is said to provide more design freedom, stronger colour impact, and improved print performance for exterior and interior graphics.
The DFC inks and coatings are manufactured at Sun Chemical’s Badalona Centre of Excellence for food packaging, with dedicated DFC production capabilities set to ensure consistent quality, comply with regulation, and secure reliable supply across the EMEA region.
Sun Chemical has also integrated its GamutViewer software into SunColorBox toolkit in a bid to accelerate colour development. Packaging manufacturers and brand owners can use it to verify colour achievability before production – reducing rework, minimizing waste, and improving efficiency in the manufacturing process.
“Packaging producers and brand owners are looking to simplify packaging, improve recyclability, and enhance consumer engagement,” said Nicolas Betin, director of Product Strategy EMEA & Global Sustainability Business Leader at Sun Chemical.
“With SunPak DFC inPace and the expanded AquaSafe portfolio, we are providing solutions for both offset and flexographic applications that help customers achieve sustainability, compliance, operational efficiency, and creative freedom.”
The development comes after Sun Chemical expanded its nitrocellulose-alternative inks portfolio for flexible packaging applications earlier this year. The inks aim to address the challenges of solvent-based inks and coatings containing nitrocellulose while being fully compatible with recycling processes, aligning with RecyClass and CEFLEX design guidelines.
In similar news, Living Ink Technologies has been nominated for a Sustainability Award for its renewable black pigment made from agrifood waste. The solution is designed to replace petroleum-based carbon black, reduce supply chain emissions and create a closed-loop packaging system.
Siegwerk has launched a new white printing ink that also provides an oxygen barrier. By merging two functions into a single inline-applied ink, the company claims that its new solution delivers high oxygen barrier performance, a bright white and opaque finish for premium print quality, and one-pass application via standard printing processes.
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