With two new compound series, plastics manufacturer KRAIBURG TPE fulfils the most important regulations for food contact applications: European Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 and the Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (21CFR) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA. These new ranges have been specially developed for contact with fatty foods and are also characterised by a pleasant feel and improved organoleptic properties. Target applications include reusable packaging, dosing valves and food dispensers.
Increased environmental and sustainability awareness among consumers has led to a steady rise in demand for reusable products in many areas. Typical examples are food containers such as lunch boxes, mixing bowls and sealable bowls, where the seals in the lid in particular are often made from thermoplastic elastomers. However, the use of these end products requires reliable materials to ensure long-term physiological safety.
In this context, the EU regulation for plastic applications with direct food contact defines strict limits for the permissible migration of the materials' ingredients. In combination with an end product design and the new formulation compositions of the new KRAIBURG TPE series FC/CM1 and FC/CM2, components will comply with the legal migration limits.
„We have been working intensively on this topic in recent years and have invested heavily in the research and development of new TPS compounds for safe food contact applications. Using comprehensive analyses and migration studies, we have succeeded in determining precise calculation principles for migration properties and transferring them to the formulation of commercial TPS grades. The ideal approach is to tailor the formulation of the individual series as precisely as possible to the expected contact media such as edible oils and fatty foods (mayonnaise, dressings and sauces, meat, etc.). To ensure this, we took a holistic and specific approach to the migration potential when formulating the materials“
Franz Hinterecker, CEO at KRAIBURG TPE
Migration control has been improved
In full compliance with the three aforementioned regulatory directives, the newly developed THERMOLAST® K compounds in the FC/CM1 and FC/CM2 series offer significantly improved migration control compared to conventional TPS. Their minimised migration potential makes them particularly suitable for applications with direct contact to fatty foods.
In addition, the new materials enable reusable containers and lids to have a long service life thanks to their excellent surface and mechanical properties. Thanks to their very good resilience, they are also ideal for closure systems and dosing valves for food packaging. The two new series allow a great deal of freedom in terms of processing, which means that even more complex geometries can be realised. The compounds are now available worldwide.
KRAIBURG TPE will be presenting the two new TPE series from the THERMOLAST K family at K 2019 (Hall 6, Stand C-58-04)
Source: KRAIBURG TPE
