When the industry talks about the use of food grade ink they don’t mean printing “Happy Birthday” on cakes with a picture of Elmo on it. In commercial settings the food grade ink is either used to print directly on the surface of the food itself or on the label that will be placed on or near the food. In light of this many will understand the former but will often question the latter. Why does the ink on a label have to be deemed food grade and safe to consume, or at the very least, to use? One is that cross contamination can occur. Someone may touch the label and then touch the food. Another likely scenario would that some sort of moisture will cause the ink to bleed onto the food. Both are real world cases and it would be good to not have ink that can be seen as toxic in anyway.
It is worthwhile to mention that food grade ink is not certified by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) rather it abides by strict guidelines to meet the criteria to deem it “GRAS”. Or Generally Recognized As Safe. These criteria are set by a federal governing body and is strictly enforced.
Within the food industry printing on food is not seen in the same way as in the retail or even consumer space, where printing on food brings about an image of a baker making gourmet cookies by adding a nice printed décor on them. Manufacturers and food providers use food grade ink to, much like manufacturers and producers on inedible goods, mark their wares. Many manufacturers keep track of their inventory throughout the distribution chain by utilizing ultraviolet ink. This ink will be invisible in normal light, but when under a UV light a barcode or serial number will most likely present itself.
While the majority of people reading this may have no qualms at all with the idea for the need to track goods in the supply chain, there will be a significant amount that will be disconcerted about biting into inked food. This is understandable, however their worries can be placated by the fact that food grade inks are remarkably safe. In fact, food manufacturers, ink manufacturers and printers are continuously developing and testing inks to increase the compatibility between ink and food. They take into account the varying surfaces of foods, the different chemical makeups of foods, and the different environments that the food is exposed to before it is consumed. With this data in hand, researchers, engineers and scientists are constantly tweaking the formula and the printing devices to ensure that the ink is not only non-toxic (as safety to the customer is paramount), but it will also be resistant to fading and smearing, while simultaneously decreasing drying time. With literally thousands to tens of thousands of various foods in the grocery aisles it is not surprising to find out that there are only a handful of inks that can live up to the task.
Erryn Deane
Erryn is the digital business manager for The Needham Group of companies, with a wealth of knowledge in laser marking systems, amongst many other things, he has decades of experience in online development, business analysis and management. In his spare time, he likes to find out how things work and looks to improve them, from vehicles to electronics or even musical instruments.
