Low Migration Inks: Safeguarding Food Packaging with Clean Print Performance
Low migration inks are specialized printing inks formulated to minimize the transfer, or "migration," of their chemical components from the printed packaging material into the contained product, most commonly food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, or cosmetics. This migration can occur through processes like evaporation, set-off, or permeation, potentially leading to product contamination, alteration of taste or odor (tainting), and safety concerns. To prevent this, these inks are engineered using raw materials that are either of high molecular weight (so they are physically too large to migrate easily) or are specifically selected from approved lists of substances with established safety profiles, such as those in the European Union's Swiss Ordinance or the US FDA's regulations. A crucial aspect of their formulation is the use of reactive chemistries, like ultraviolet (UV) or electron beam (EB) curing, which polymerize the liquid ink into a solid, cross-linked plastic film, effectively trapping components within the cured matrix.