Paying attention to the safety and health of printed matter

Printing is one of the four major inventions in China. Because it can spread culture and information, it has a significant role in promoting human civilization, society, and economic development. Modern prints have some harm to human health due to the use of more or less toxic and harmful substances in the ink. The European and American countries have attached great importance to this issue. With the advancement of scientific knowledge and the importance of environmental protection, China has taken the road of sustainable development and began to attach importance to the safety and health of food and medicine packaging.

Some of the harmful substances contained in printed materials are limited in the world: 1 The residual content of solvents is not allowed to exceed the standard (benzene, esters, ketones, ethers, alcohols, etc.); 2 The content of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, Hexavalent chromium must be in accordance with European 94/62/EC. The metal concentration must not exceed 100 ppm. At present, most of the heavy-metal content of China's lithographic color patterns (including newspapers) and gravure printing ink is excessive, and if it is not taken seriously, it will be detrimental to the user's health.

In the recent newspaper promotion of food hygiene, there are many foods that need to be packaged and packaging is related to printed matter. The food is hygienic, and the printed matter of the packaging does not meet the requirements. It also means that the food is not hygienic. In this regard, people should increase their awareness. In addition, China has joined the WTO, and international trade has become more frequent. The issue of environmental protection has not only received attention, but it has also been used as a means of technical barriers in international trade to protect the interests of the country and limit the import of goods. For food, not only the food itself must comply with safety and health, but also the packaging must comply with safety and health, otherwise the food is not allowed to import, and it is rejected, as are other commodities. Therefore, commodity production units should also pay attention to the safety and health of packaging prints.

The economically developed countries in Europe and the United States have already implemented laws and regulations regarding the safety and health of India. Domestic foreign companies such as: KFC, McDonald's lunch boxes, fries boxes, beverage cups, all use safe and sanitary prints without solvent, non-heavy metal ink prints, when meals, if the food falls on the plate paper, then eat Also in line with safety and health, holding a drink cup in hand and eating food again is also hygienic. If the printed matter is not hygienic, the food will fall on the printed matter and it will be detrimental to the human body if it is eaten again. It would also be unfavorable for the human body to take unhygienic prints and eat food. Products such as Nestle, Lihua, Mystery, and Lu Xue also place great emphasis on the hygiene requirements for the use of printed materials. A well-known American beverage company in the country, their self-adhesive label, used gravure in the past, and now also specifies the use of sanitary prints. In Europe and the United States, when children eat candy, they mistakenly eat the wrapping paper together. Therefore, there are also safety and health requirements for candy packaging. Compared with European countries and the United States, the gap between our country's hygiene of printed matter and our understanding is still far away.

It was recently learned that starting from July 1, 2006, the European Union will formally implement the ROHS Directive on environmental protection in China, that is, prohibiting the use of lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium in newly released electric and electronic equipment products. There are 6 kinds of harmful substances, such as polybrominated diphenyl ether and polybrominated biphenyls. If these products need to be packaged, their printed matter should also meet the corresponding safety and environmental protection requirements. The food, medicine, cosmetics, gifts and toys industries should be prepared as early as possible, and they should pay attention to the issue of the safety and health of print products.

China's rapid development of flexible printing in the past 10 years, the use of water-based ink, has been considered by the US Food and Drug Association belongs to non-toxic ink; UV ink safety is also recognized by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Paying attention to the safety and health of printed materials can be beneficial to your health. For Shanghai, Shanghai is an open international metropolis. Printed products produced in Shanghai should comply with international rules. ※

Author: Lin Fengming


Author: China Printing Association Flexo Printing Committee

Source: Chinese flexo