Xeikon, a division of Punch Graphix, has been a pioneer in digital color printing and dry toner technology since its inception more than 20 years ago. With the launch of the Xeikon 3500 digital label production press and QA-I toner at IPEX 2010, the company has taken the suitability of its technology for food packaging applications to an entirely new level. In the United States, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets guidelines that must be followed with regard to food, whether packaged or not. Some of these guidelines are with respect to the actual materials being used to produce the labels, such as inks, toners and substrates. In addition, FDA also sets guidelines with respect to the printed materials in contact with food. The two types of food contact are direct and indirect. With direct food contact, the printed material comes into contact with the food. Indirect food contact refers to printed materials that are located on the outside packaging of the food. The Xeikon QA-I toner meets all the applicable FDA guidelines for indirect food contact under room temperature and less severe conditions as well as direct food contact for dry food substances containing no surface oil or fat under the same conditions.
Food safety is of the highest priority for label converters, as nearly 40 percent of the digitally produced labels are used for food packaging applications. By utilizing Xeikon's latest technology, label converters can gain a unique competitive edge in the markets they serve. Other printing technologies that involve UV-inks or solvent-based liquid inks do not always meet the FDA guidelines as they contain low molecular weight components. For example, most UV-inks are unsuitable for indirect food contact as non-cross linked molecules or photo initiators present in the cured ink could migrate through the packaging and contaminate the food being packaged. According to Michael V. Ring, president of Xeikon North America, "Label converters involved in food packaging applications operate in a challenging and complex world. Governmental safety regulations have considerably increased the amount of information that needs to be included on a label. As a result, label converters have to judiciously utilize the available space to produce something that not only meets all the regulations, but is also eye-catching and compelling to capture a consumer's attention. At the same time, they have to keep an eye on their costs. Xeikon's QA-I toner supports all of these goals by offering superior image quality at 1200 dpi and unique advantages in food safety."
The QA-I toner is produced at the company's dedicated toner production plant in A pioneer in digital printing, Xeikon designs, develops and delivers high-end digital colour printing systems for the industrial, document and commercial printing market segments. These systems are composed of advanced web-fed printing engines using LED-array-based, dry toner electrophotography, open workflow software, exclusive toner and other consumables.
