‘World’s first’ ovenable film made with environmentally friendly inks

These are the first materials printed and laminated with water-based inks and adhesives successfully tested by Smithers for ovenable food safety performance up to 220°C (430°F). They are compliant with EU and FDA packaging regulations.

Peter Ralten, commercial and business development director at Sirane, said: “Consumer demand for ovenable convenience is growing rapidly and it is essential food cooked in plastic packaging, a very popular way of cooking, is safe. It is great that we have been able the reduce the environmental impact of these products.”​

Environmental step forward​

“The NPD team and factory have been working non-stop to get this product out into the market. These ovenable printed films and pouches are truly a great step forward taking the environment, health and safety into consideration.​

“We believe this is a world first as a laminate, printed with water-based inks and using water-based adhesives, which has been approved for oven use.”​

Using water-based printing greatly reduces the volatile organic compounds emitted during production, such as aromatic amines – compounds classed as potential human carcinogens and known to cause cancer in animals – found in typical solvent-based adhesives.

Eco-credentials​

Eco-credentials are further boosted by using materials containing post-consumer recycled content (PCR) – materials with 30% or more PCR content are exempt from the plastic tax.

Rachel McKenna, innovation and business development manager, added: “This is a fantastic achievement, expanding our in-house capabilities and product offering to customers and, furthermore, demonstrating the close teamwork between departments to successfully lead new developments from concept to launch.”​

Sirane’s new materials are available in reel form, as flat bags/pouches or as stand-up pouches.  The films can be used for safe higher temperature cooking of most food types, including fish, meat, poultry and vegetables.

Meanwhile, new recycle-ready forming films can help manufacturers reduce their carbon footprint by up to 80%​​ without compromising on food shelf life, according to developer Amcor.