SubscribeThe hubergroup goes for growth and innovation.
The hubergroup has recently set important milestones.
Printing Ink Manufacturer Acquisition
The hubergroup's acquisition of a majority shareholding (70.5%) in the Indian printing-ink manufacturer Micro Inks Ltd has increased the number of companies around the world that now belong to the Group to 36. This makes the hubergroup the world's fourth-largest manufacturer of printing inks.
Despite the continuing orientation of this now enlarged group to act as a global player, the hubergroup still remains true to its basic philosophy: "We will continue to think and act as a family company. This means we will face up to the responsibility we have towards our customers and our employees. For our customers, this means consistently high quality of product and service, wherever they are. A challenge we willingly take up."
Food Packaging Printing Inks and Coatings
One of the most important innovations introduced by the hubergroup in the packaging printing sector is the MGA® ink and coating system.
The hubergroup's MGA® system is the first series of sheet-fed offset inks and coatings that ensures printed packages do not contaminate their contents.
In view of the fact that more than 90% of all foodstuffs sold on the Western European market are packaged, this is a significant contribution towards consumer protection. Most of the sheet-fed offset inks commonly used today to print food packaging made of folding boxboard fulfil this demand only to a limited degree.
What types of interaction can take place between packaging and contents?
Interaction between packaging and the contents inside can take three different forms:
Due to the nature of the production process, the side of the stock that will face the package contents in the finished article comes into contact with the printed side in the stack or on the reel. This means there is a possibility of ink constituents, such as solvents, being transferred. This is known as "invisible set off". These substances can come into contact with the package contents (the food) and then transfer to the food:
What's more, substances of low molecular weight can also migrate through the substrate and onto the food.
Thirdly, volatile substances can transfer through the enclosed air space inside the packaging and to the food.
Until now, it has been the avoidance of organoleptic changes (changes of odour and taste) through the air space that has mainly been considered. Measurement and minimisation of substance transfers in the form of invisible setoff and migration is relatively new.
Sheet-Fed Offset Printing Process
In Europe, folding boxes are primarily printed in the sheet-fed offset process. The inks used in the offset process generally use mineral oils or low-molecular fatty acid nonoesters as their solvent. Board, paper, coatings and bags made of PE and OPP provide absolutely no barrier to these substances. This means that the solvents named above are able to migrate through the substrate.
Not the case with the MGA® system from the hubergroup.
Prints with MGA® inks, coatings and fount concentrates are organoleptically neutral. MGA® contains only substances that are not capable of migration or that are approved in the EU member states or in an FDA regulation for direct contact with food. This precludes any influence on package contents.
These can only be achieved if the sensitive design and production process of MGA® products complies strictly with the requirements of "Good Manufacturing Practice" (GMP): universal optimisation of the entire process chain, logging of each and every production step and the prevention of contamination through conventional inks or ink components. To this end, the hubergroup has invested in new production plants in Kirchheim near Munich and in Limerick, Ireland.
Nevertheless the MGA® system will fit the newest requirements and policies of brandowners and EUPIA Guideline as well.
The hubergroup provides food packaging printers with innovative products, best service, optimised processes and end-to-end solutions.
For more information, visit www.FuturePack.de.
06.12.2007