Converting

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a Food Contact Notification (FCN) that allows direct food contact with UV or electronic beam formulations.

Under FCN 772, UV or EB cured formulations may be used as coatings or components of coatings (both including inks) on polymeric substrates, paper and paperboard, metal substrates, or as a component in adhesives.

It is the first time a notification has been approved relating to packaging with direct food contact. Standards for packaging were previously related only to indirect food contact and generic goods manufacturing practices.

The FDA clearance applies to only three monomers, one oligomer and one photoinitiator.

The FCN772 has been promoted by the Food Notification Alliance, which includes Alcan Packaging, Alcoa, Amgraph Packaging, Bayer Polymers, Dixie Packaging, Fujifilm, Rohm, Sealed Air and Gidue.

Gidue told Packaging News: "European standards only regulate indirect food contact. The action promoted by the Food Contact Notification Alliance is a real breakthrough for UV and EB technologies and sooner or later it will have a great echo in Europe."

Gidue president Federico d'Annunzio said: "This achievement discredits a number of false beliefs connected with UV curing. It is immediately clear which benefits will be introduced in the packaging printing environment, a sector where traditionally tight and strict rules are applied for indirect food contact".

The new technology is likely to be used in wide-web flexo printing applications and fast-food packaging.