By Danny Mertens
In the world of food and beverage production, packaging is more than just a protective layer or branding opportunity—it's a vital component of product safety. With strict regulations governing food contact materials, ensuring that packaging is food safe is critical. However focusing solely on food safety certifications is not enough.
Enter the concept of Good Manufactured Food Packaging (GMFP) : a holistic approach that ensures every aspect of the production chain maintains the quality and safety of the food or beverage. This concept goes beyond compliance, advocating for a comprehensive evaluation of processes, materials, and interactions. Here’s why food compatibility is essential and how it can prevent costly mistakes.
What is GMFP ?
Good Manufactured Food Packaging considers the entire lifecycle of a product, from material selection to production, storage, and use. While "foodsafe" certifications validate that certain materials or technologies are safe for direct or indirect food contact, they don’t always account for the complex realities of production and storage.
For example, Xeikon’s toners are certified food-safe for specific applications, such as contact with dry or non-fatty foods. These certifications are crucial but represent just one piece of the puzzle. The broader picture—how materials, processes, and environments interact—determines whether a product with a certain design, in combination with the packaging material and way of working is truly compatible with food.
The Beer Incident
Consider this recent incident from Finland: a small craft brewery produced a limited edition of beer packaged in cans. To enhance the product's aesthetic appeal, the brewery used digitally printed labels created with UV inkjet technology. This technology is considered safe when applied on a functional barrier material like the aluminium cans material. The labels were applied to the cans before they were filled and sealed.
Here’s where the problem arose: the labelled, empty cans were stored in boxes for a prolonged period. During storage, volatile chemicals from the cured UV inks evaporated, settling inside the cans. When the cans were eventually filled and sealed, these residual chemicals transferred an unpleasant smell and taste to the beer. The result? A ruined product and a poor experience for its consumers at the festival, even if the chemical cursing this was present below the specific migration limit (SML). EU laws state clearly : Food packaging should never change the taste or flavour of the food and the composition should never exceed the overall (OML) and specific migration limits (SML) !
This incident underscores the importance of evaluating every step in the process. A certified food safe material alone cannot always guarantee product safety and quality if the broader context isn’t considered. This is what is understood under “Good Manufacturing of Food Packaging”.
Key Components of GMFP
Achieving good manufactured food packaging requires careful attention to three key areas:
Certified Printing Materials
Foodsafe certifications, like those for Xeikon’s dry toner technologies, are essential. These toners meet stringent regulatory standards and are designed for specific applications in food packaging. However, certification should be viewed as a foundation—not a comprehensive solution. This does not only cover the right composition (typically described as “food compliant”) but also deals with the migration results checked for the specific marking material used (“migration limit compliant”)
Certified and effective Barrier Materials
Many packaging solutions rely on physical barriers, such as glass or cans, to prevent any ink migration into the food or beverage. While some barriers are effective, they’re not foolproof. Storage conditions, way of handling the printed material, environmental factors and additional chemical interactions can all influence safety. Differences in barrier properties also have to be taken into account. PP or PE is 100 million times less blocking compared to PET.
Process Chain Awareness
Every step of the production process matters, from printing and application to storage and transportation. Companies must anticipate and mitigate risks, such as chemical evaporation of residual solvent or unreacted monomers) or unintended exposure (like set-off, to ensure the final product is unaffected.
What does this have to do with Xeikon?
At Xeikon, we recognize the growing demand for safe, reliable, and sustainable packaging solutions. Our dry toner technologies are a prime example of how we prioritise food compatibility. Certified as food safe for specific applications, Xeikon’s toners eliminate concerns about migration in many contexts (direct, indirect, setoff)
But our commitment doesn’t stop there. We work closely with customers to evaluate their unique production chains, identifying potential risks, offering advice and tailored solutions. Whether it’s optimising workflows, recommending appropriate barriers, or ensuring compliance with global standards, Xeikon provides the tools and expertise to achieve true food compatibility.
A Call to Action: Make it the Standard!
The Finnish microbrewery’s experience serves as a cautionary tale for manufacturers, printers, and brand owners. It’s a reminder that safety is a system-wide responsibility. Good Manufacturing of Food Packaging ensures that no aspect of the production chain compromises product quality or consumer safety.
At Xeikon, we believe this holistic approach is the future of food and beverage packaging. By adopting Good Manufacturing of Food Packaging as a guiding principle, you can safeguard your products, protect your brand reputation, and meet the evolving expectations of consumers and regulators alike.
The next time you evaluate your packaging processes, ask yourself: Is it just “food safe” or “food compliant”, or is it “good manufactured food packaging” ?
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