Storm in a cereal pack

The recent study to emerge from continental Europe on mineral oils found in paper-based packaging is one which the industry cannot ignore, and the paper industry will be working with competent authorities throughout the summer in order to establish the extent of the problem – indeed if that is what it turns out to be.

It needs to be understood that mineral oils come in many forms and are commonly present in food, anyway. The issue here is whether additional traces are entering food as a result of migration from the inks present both on the printed surface of the packaging and in recycled fibre, principally newspapers, used in the production of packaging.

There have never been any toxicological studies on the effects of human exposure to traces of mineral oils, and so there is an absence of clear evidence upon which to base any regulatory guidance. Indeed, what is interesting is that none of the Food Standards Agencies in any European country has either called for the practice of recycling fibres to be curtailed or for recycled fibres to be excluded from the manufacture of packaging.

Dr Koni Grob undertook his research at a government-run food safety laboratory in Zurich. His report is but one piece of research, which took samples from one supermarket chain in one European country (Germany), so there is a need for wider investigation. A report from the European Food Safety Authority is expected in September 2011.

The paper industry, however, is not and never has been complacent about such issues. It has been a pioneer in developing and setting standards for food contact paper-based packaging and regularly issues guidance, the most recent of which was published in 2010.

The industry is now actively seeking ways of reducing or eliminating mineral oils from inks. Indeed, many of the world’s leading packaging companies already use alternative water-based inks when printing onto packaging products. It is also worth pointing out that barrier materials are used so that food very rarely, if ever, comes into direct contact with paper containing recycled fibres.

The recycling of paper, board and corrugated has been a huge success story for our industry. In Europe, the average recycling rate is 72%, making paper one of the most recycled of all materials. The environmental benefits are huge, reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions in production and allowing for the responsible management of forest plantations.

The paper industry treats consumer protection as its highest priority and is committed to pursuing its objective of providing safe food packaging, while at the same time playing a major role in ensuring environmental sustainability through managed forestry and optimising recycling levels.

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