Pigment application food contact

Whilst the pigment has a favourable toxicity profile and a long history of application in sensitive applications such as cosmetics and in food-contact applications, in order to meet the requirements of discerning customers practice sustainable procurement and look for products with a beneficial life cycle analysis. This paper, therefore, outlines the results of a study which shows how a commitment to sustainable manufacture is an essential addition to the favourable toxicity profile. Areas for improvement are recognised and options for renewable energy resources are discussed. 

Over the past decades there has been a big increase in chemical legislation this is also true for regulations governing the use of colourants for food-contact applications. The various food-contact regulations worldwide are briefly examined from a pigment manufacturer s point of view. The advantages of getting a product listed by FDA are discussed in detail, not only from the perspective of USA sales but also from that of the supply into other markets. 

The hardened, light stable, lightly pigmented food contact materials are not susceptible to stress cracking, but are resistant to alcohols, ethers, hydrocarbons, fats, and can be used with weak acids and boiling water. Typical applications are beverage containers and silos for foodstuffs. 

Colorant systems to be used in food contact, cosmetics, toys, pharmaceutical, and medical applications fall under various governmental regulations. The colorist needs to be familiar with these regulations and select colorants accordingly. Also, some states regulate the use of heavy metal pigments in packaging applications. 

Regulated Colorants That Are FDA Approved. It often seems a contradiction that many of the colorants that are suitable for use in food contact applications must also appear on an MSDS as a reportable or hazardous material. Examples include zinc oxide and zinc sulfide, both zinc compounds chromium oxide green (pigment green 17), a chromium compound carbon black and cobalt aluminate blue (pigment blue 28), which is not only reportable because of its cobalt content but is also a suspected carcinogen. 

Pigment Brown 45 (MnWTi). As it has become apparent that antimony is not bio-available from doped rutiles, the trend for such substitutions with respect to food contact applications has strongly diminished. A more scientific survey on colored titanium MMO pigments is given by Maloney [3.93]. 

Colorants Colorants can be critical as far as their possible extractions and toxicities are concerned. As for pigments, azoic yellows are known to be safe and suitable for food contact applications. New mixed-phase rutile yellow pigments also satisfy a number of food-contact requirements. Novel blue-red azo can be used as an alternative to high performance organics, and meets FDA requirements. 

An essential requirement for the use of polymeric barriers in food packaging is the absence of any additive or residual monomers which can transfer potentially toxic components in any way to the contents of the package and impart an off-flavor to the product or present a health hazard. They must have little or no extractives which is particularly important to avoid odor or taste being imparted to food in the coated container. A variety of special purpose additives, which must be acceptable for use in food-contact applications, are used in coating systems. These additives include pigment dispersants, suspension agents, defoamers, emulsifiers, and rust prevention concentrates. 

Colorants are necessary materials in most forms of packaging, and they are critical to extraction and toxicity. This has been recognized from the beginning, and there are many pigments with satisfactory performance that are accepted for food-contact and medical applications. 

Both NiSbTi and CrSbTi DR pigments were approved by FDA in 1999 for food contact (conditions B through H) applications at limited levels up to 1 or 2 %... 

Carbon blacks are the most used among all pigments. They have a high pigmentation power and they improve many of the physical properties of polymers, such as light stability, processibility, and mechanical properties. Channel black has been banned in the United States since 1976 only all gas-fired channel black is still permissible in food contact applications. Other carbon blacks, mainly thermal and lamp carbon blacks, are used in rubber reinforcement acetylene carbon black is interesting for its electrical conductivity and is used as an antistatic agent. Activated carbon is also used in some cases. 

For food packaging applications the US FDA requires that pigments used for indirect food contact must comply with 21 CFR 178.3297. Maximum migration level is 10 ppb or 10 pg/kg of food. In the EU pigments must meet requirements specified in Resolution AP(89)1 regarding heavy metals and aromatic amines. 

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