Food packaging safety concerns

Food packaging is called 'special food additive'. In recent years. Due to the high residue of harmful substances in food packaging. Contamination of food is caused by frequent poisoning incidents. Controversy from carcinogenicity of cling film. To the brand name milk packaging and printing pollution incident, there are more rumors. The Sudan Red One incident. once Upon a time. People's attention to food safety has evolved from the product itself to the food packaging. For most of the consumer. This is a major advancement in food safety awareness. Simultaneously. Food packaging production using illegal raw materials. In the packaging printing, bonding process using toxic substances or more than a limited amount of the phenomenon have been exposed by the media, so that food packaging security risks have gradually surfaced.

The material is not up to standard

Packed as food. Personal clothing. Its safety in raw materials, excipients, and processes will directly affect the quality of food, which in turn will have an impact on human health. At present, most of the materials used to package foods and drugs are plastic products. In a certain medium environment and temperature conditions. The polymer monomer and some additives in the plastic will dissolve out. And transferred to food and medicine in a very small amount. Resulting in human health risks.

such as. PVC cling film on the human body potential danger! Mainly comes from two aspects: It is the vinyl chloride monomer residue in PVC cling film that exceeds the standard: : It is DEHA plasticizer used in PVC cling film processing process, when it meets grease or heating. DEHA is easily released. It is harmful to health when food enters the body.

For the compound packaging with more security threats on the market today. In addition to the use of small qualified packaging materials resulting in toxic and harmful dissolution. Some toxic or limited use additives in the packaging printing process also greatly affect the safety of packaged foods. Most of the production enterprises in China are still using inks and solvents based on benzene, n-hexane, halogenated hydrocarbons and other harmful chemical materials. The determination of the safety of these substances is more complicated. At present there is no separate home health standard. There are great security holes.

In fact. The spot inspection results of food packaging showed that the food packaging printing pollution has become the main cause of secondary pollution of food. Has been recognized as a carcinogen benzene, is currently mainly used for composite packaging materials adhesive plastic printing ink thorn. Due to the incomplete evaporation of benzene solvents during the printing process. May cause benzene residues in the packaging material. In the food packaging process. Benzene penetrates into food. As a result, the food is contaminated.

Poor supervision and backward technology affect food packaging safety

China's food packaging companies are mostly small and medium enterprises. Regulatory difficulty. On the one hand, these enterprises are not strict on the raw materials purchased. Cause the quality of the package itself is small; on the other hand, food packaging and printing companies in the printing process. Its use of ink, leaching, etc. have not reached the non-toxic, safety requirements resulting in direct contact with food and harmful substances caused by pollution. Or indirect penetration of hazardous materials into packaging materials. And pollute food.

In addition. In these years, we paid great attention to the quality of raw materials, additives and other foods. The emphasis on food packaging safety is relatively inadequate. Lack of effective and mandatory supervision. Look at the current situation. Regarding food packaging safety issues, whether it is the degree of perfection of national standards. Or there are many loopholes in supervision. In addition, the entry threshold for food packaging manufacturers is very low, with fewer scale companies and more small businesses. Causes confusion in product quality and market prices. Skull graves threaten personal safety and human health.

Look at the current situation. The emergence of some food packaging safety issues is not only a matter of supervision. Technical reasons also occupy a large proportion. For example, in the packaging and printing, the use of inks containing harmful substances, leaching, etc. is a prominent problem. in this aspect. Forward-thinking companies have made active explorations.

Lagging management creates trade barriers

Although the hidden dangers of food packaging endanger the health of consumers, the management of food packaging by China's mandatory laws and regulations is lagging behind. There is no strict market access system. It is not uncommon for trade barriers to be encountered in food exports. Such as Germany's use of the packaging cartons used to export food in our country put forward new requirements. Requires glue sealing as much as possible. Can not use PVC or other plastic tape, if you have to use plastic tape, it also requires no PE / PB tape.

It is understood in Europe and the United States. Flexible packaging adhesives have gradually turned to water-based or solvent-free products, and alcohol-soluble inks have replaced toluene inks in Europe, America, and South Korea as major development trends. In the corresponding regulations. Both the U.S. and the EU clearly specify the types of adhesives and inks used in food or pharmaceutical packaging in related laws. As long as it is not listed in the regulations of the chemicals. Always disable.

Although China's food hygiene law has been implemented for many years. However, there is no effective management for the production, processing and use of packaging materials. Many food packaging materials on the market are difficult to meet the national requirements for food safety, hygiene and environmental protection. There is a certain degree of difficulty on the formation of new trade barriers for China's food packaging industry. At present, EU's trade barriers to China's food packaging have risen from several items to dozens. Restricted the export of food in our country.

Safety system needs to be established as soon as possible

To solve the safety problem of food packaging. Must start from the basics. Can be a headache for doctors. Foot pain medical foot. But it needs a comprehensive solution. This requires a comprehensive assessment and revision of the current China food and related product standards system.

Currently. The United States, Canada, Vietnam and other countries have imposed HACCP standards. The standard through the analysis of the hazards of food production. Find out the key control points. And take preventive measures and monitoring methods. Minimize the risk factor while performing the necessary verification. Food, together with its packaging, must undergo three analyses of chemical risk, biological risk, and physical risk before leaving the factory. Compared with developed countries. The laws and regulations that our country meets here are particularly perfect.

Environmental protection alternative safe and harmless

Developed countries encourage the use of environmentally sound alternatives while maintaining strict standards. Flexible packaging adhesives are gradually turning to water-based or solvent-free products. Alcohol-soluble ink replaces toluene ink. Both U.S. and EU regulations stipulate the types of adhesives and types used for food or pharmaceutical packaging.

Our country should also strengthen the research of oil tar, adhesives, printing, and composite processing new technologies and new processes as soon as possible. Production of safe, environmentally friendly food packaging materials. Promote non-benzene-soluble inks, such as alcohol-soluble, water-based inks, etc., research and develop ultraviolet curing, electron beam curing ink technology, increase the development and use of water-based glue and solvent-free glue; research and develop more new functional packaging materials.

In summary. The quality of food packaging should be legislated to be equal to the quality of the food itself. Only in this way can law enforcement be strengthened. Try to reverse the poor quality of food packaging products as a whole. Secondly. The national standards for food packaging products should be revised as soon as possible. It is recommended that the indicator of the presence of deuterium in food packaging products be recommended as mandatory. Reflect the rationality and seriousness of the standard. At the same time, it is necessary to raise the requirements of the main indicators of food packaging products from the standard, and try to reflect the concept of moving closer to international trends in the standards. Third, food packaging should gradually implement the market access system like food. To protect and encourage formal enterprises to develop environmentally friendly and healthy packaging products and to crack down on the production of inferior food packaging. Only in this way. In order to fundamentally eliminate and prevent food packaging products left hidden dangers to people's lives.

Reprinted from: China Printed Materials Network