FDA approves UV technology for direct food contact in packaging

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Food Contact Notification (FCN) 772 to allow direct food contact with UV or electronic beam formulations. The FCN772 clears that the 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.

FCN772 has been promoted by the Food Notification Alliance that includes Gidue within its members as the only labels and flexible packaging press manufacturer. Gidue is a member of the Food Contact Notification Alliance, a sub-group of RadTech USA, starting from its establishment in 2004. Since then the company, in conjunction with all other members (worldwide leading chemical industries and packaging manufacturers), has financed and promoted the notification applying to the FDA.

Since 2004, the FDA has evaluated the work done by the Alliance and after long and accurate analysis provided the notification’s clearance that allows any combination of cleared materials in direct food contact, and it is expected to widen the use of UV and EB in food packaging.

‘The FCN772 clearance dramatically changes the perspectives of packaging and label printing press manufacturers, among which Gidue stands out once again for its pioneering spirit,’ claimed Federico d’Annunzio, president of Gidue, ‘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.’

This is the first time that a regulation institution defines measurable threshold values under which the use of UV technology for food packaging is allowed. ‘The goal achieved by the Alliance marks out a radical change for packaging printing,’ continued d’Annunzio. ‘UV technology is restored into its strategic role within the packaging industry evolution, in opposition to water or solvent-based technologies.’

The next step is to wait for the European Institutions’ evaluations and clearance about the regulations regarding UV and EB formulations utilization.