A new tape developed to label and wrap fruit and veggies
By Canadian Packaging staff
Design & Innovation Coding & Labeling Food Contact Tape IrplastIrplast’s Food Contact Tape developed to label and wrap fruit and vegetables respecting organoleptic features.
EMPOLI, ITALY—Irplast S.p.A.’s ultimate response to ensure food safety is called Food Contact Tape.
The new adhesive tape has been created to meet a specific demand from the fruit and vegetable market that requires a safe and functional band for labeling and wrapping specific portions of the products. This solution represents a real revolution for tapes in the food industry: a system which not only enables to label and group together food but also to promote the manufacturer’s brand and information on the product; turning it into a means of communication.
Irplast’s Food Contact Tape is an alternative not only to straps and elastic bands, but also to trays and transparent wraps, safeguarding all the food’s organoleptic properties and significantly decreasing the quantity of secondary packaging.
Irplast’s careful consideration for the consumer’s safety is the basis of this project – it brought the company during 2015 in adopting the BRC/IOP (British Retail Consortium) standard also for the production process of its prevalent packaging tapes. The research involved important ink manufacturers (INX and SunChemical) and adhesive producers (Henkel), which backed Irplast in the choice of the raw materials suitable for this type of application, especially concerning the food contact compliance.
The inks used for the creation of Irplat’s Food Contact Tape are all formulated in accordance with EuPIA CEPE Exclusion List and the adhesive part is formulated exclusively with the raw materials included in the XIV BfR recommendation.
The production of Irplat’s Food Contact Tape is carried out under the European Parliament and the Council on food packaging safety Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 and under the Commission’s Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006 on the suitable manufacturing process of materials and items destined to come into contact with food products. This tape has been declared eligible for direct contact with fruit and vegetables with peel, following a meticulous analysis carried out by the commissioned laboratory CSI S.p.A from Bollate (Milan).
It has shown the absence of any kind of contamination or organoleptic alteration from the tape to the food product. From a technical point of view, the tape can stick to various types of fruit and vegetables without leaving any residue once removed.
“We are dealing with a major innovative element for the fruit and vegetables market, especially in terms of increased functionality and significant environmental benefits, thanks to the decrease of secondary packaging,” explains Irplast chief operating officer Luca de Bartolo. “Following this new project, Irplast plans to continue providing support to its customers, designing more expert and efficient solutions to support business projects that improve the collective affluence”.
Irplast S.p.A. is the world’s only manufacturer of simultaneous bi-oriented polypropylene film and one of the major European leaders in the production of:
- BOPP and SOPP film;
- Shrinkable pre-glued roll-fed labels for the food, beverage and toiletries markets;
- “Open & Close” solutions suitable for the tissue and food sector;
- Multi-packaging bundles;
- printed adhesive tape (carton sealing), including theft-proof security tape “Tamper-evident”.
Company information available at www.irplastgroup.com.
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