Schaumburg, IL –  Business techniques and trends and government rules and regulations in relation to food packaging materials were hot topics of conversation during the Pack Expo seminar on "Chemical Migration & Migration Approaches," held October 30 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

INX International's Kevin Facklam and Jonathan Graunke were part of a six member panel that discussed relevant issues and engaged in an interesting dialogue with the seminar's audience.  Graunke, VP of Energy Curable Technology, talked about the process involving food manufacturers, including risk assessment and package design among other things.  Facklam, Director of Regulatory Affairs, addressed compliance and other items that involve brand owners, designers and printer/converters.

"In Europe, and globally at INX, it is necessary to qualify raw materials intended for use in food packaging using a detailed, 16 section Raw Material compliance questionnaire.  This is to assure that the product complies with the appropriate legislation and selection scheme," remarked Facklam.

"In the U.S., the ink manufacturer should provide necessary documentation of facts to the converter so the converter is able to fulfill an appropriate declaration of compliance of their finished packaging.  Eventually these supply chain communications may merge between Europe and U.S. manufacturing."

Facklam also mentioned how fundamentals matter in the supply chain.

"Having an adequate quality program in place to catch any problems ahead of time, before a package is printed or if printed, is released to the converter to be filled, is critical."

INX has published "Low Migration Inks in Packaging," a brief yet comprehensive action guide to help food package providers deal with a myriad of challenges they face today.  It summarizes the latest, most relevant regulations and standards, including FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) requirements for the U.S., Canada and Europe.  Packaging supply chain links and responsibilities, practical recommendations for print-production processes and a glossary of relevant abbreviations and definitions are also included.  To obtain a free copy, contact [email protected].

INX International Ink Co. is the third largest producer of inks in North America with over 20 facilities in the U.S. and Canada, and is a global supplier as part of Sakata INX worldwide operations.  For more information, visit the Web site at www.INXinternational.com.