Food packaging is an important aspect of everyone’s lives, and consumers today expect packaging to be safe as well as aesthetically pleasing. Food packaging must meet a variety of performance criteria, whether protecting hot or cold foods, oils and many different ingredients.
Food Packaging is Critical for Safety and Shelf Life
Food packaging must perform many important roles that food manufacturers must consider. Packaging influences consumers on the attractiveness of products as well as protecting food quality and safety. Food packaging is typically in some form of paperboard, cardboard, or coated paper with a functional layer that provides protection against moisture, grease, or chemicals. Food packaging must preserve the quality of food and improve shelf life.
FDA Fundamentals of Coatings and Adhesives for Food Contact
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides food safety regulations regarding coatings and adhesives for direct and indirect food contact. The FDA does not list specific coatings or adhesives that meet the requirements for direct or indirect contact with food but rather lists the requirements for food contact applications in the Code of Federal Regulations. CFR Title 21, Section 175.300 refers to the resinous and polymeric coating requirements for food contact, and Section 175.105 refers to the regulations regarding adhesives used in food applications. There are many raw materials that may be used as components of coatings and adhesives that have direct and indirect food contact.
Water-Based Drum and Pail Coatings
Universal Chemicals & Coatings, Inc., UNICHEM, offers a full line of water-based coatings that meet FDA compliance regulations for flexible packaging. AQUA-LON® 902 by UNICHEM is a water-based drum coating that can be customized to meet specific capabilities for versatile applications. AQUA-LON® 902 offers an adjustable curing range for coil coating or sheet coating with ultra-low hazardous air pollutants (HAPS). AQUA-LON® 902 is compatible with a wide range of chemical pretreatments.
UNICHEM’s RESCO® interior drum linings are available in various chemistries, including RESCO® UNIVERSAL, our proprietary solvent drum lining with high-heat curing. RESCO solvent-borne interior chemical drum linings feature low HAPS and low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with standard and BPA-free properties. RESCO provides superior chemical resistance where other drum linings fail, is available in roll-coat and spray versions, and has the ability to be recoated without compromising performance.
UNICHEM offers coating and adhesive solutions for food packaging with solvent-borne and water-borne chemistries. We offer more than 50 years of experience in customizing adhesive and coating solutions to meet environmental and regulatory standards. Contact us to learn more about our adhesive and coating solutions for the food packaging industry.