The packaging firm claims that the packaging style of some chocolate products such as aluminium foil wrapped figurines is not compliant with European Commission regulation (EC1935/2004) as the products’ printed or overprint varnished surfaces can come into direct contact with the food product’s surface.
Peter Lopatnik, marketing director at Moneta, told this publication that the firm’s R&D team, recognising an industry need, set about developing a technology that would allows the firm to reverse print on a 3 micron or 2.7 gr/m2 OPP film using an eight colour roto gravure machine to seal in the inks and then ink side laminate a 7 micron aluminium foil.
“As a result of our new material, even if the figurine wrapping still has a part of the printed side touching the chocolate product it will now adhere to all EU regulations,” he said.
All of the products manufactured by the company are CEE certified in terms of approval for direct contact with the food, said the marketing director.
According to Lopatnik, the new packaging wrap does not hinder the machinabilty of the wrap and since the weight of the 3 micron film is equivalent to the lacquer application that is used on the unsupported aluminium foil, it is not thick enough to damage the memory of the aluminium foil.
“The final wrap reduces the use of the packaging by 30 per cent from regular 36gr/m2 printed aluminium foil to only a 24 gr/m2 wrapping material that has the strength equivalent of an 18 micron unsupported aluminium foil,” continued the marketing director.
The film structure, he added, also ensures protection from tears and scratches.
Lopatnik argues that the firm’s ability to print on the 3 micron OPP film on a roto gravure machine with perfect register control along with stretching of the photo cell by 0.1 per cent makes this a game-changing development in the packaging industry.
“Up until now, the lowest possible thickness that was permitted by any roto gravure machine manufacturer was 10 micron OPP film, and we have demonstrated a reduction in film thickness for use on such equipment of 70 per cent.”