Safe inks urged for food packaging

Concerns about the use of potentially harmful chemicals in food packaging inks have prompted calls for stricter regulations and consumer awareness in Bangladesh.

Jatin Takkar, head of Product Safety and Regulatory, Siegwerk India – a leading global provider of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels, urged stakeholders to adopt safe ink practices during a recent media and stakeholder roundtable at a city hotel yesterday.

Organised by Siegwerk, the roundtable aimed to address food safety issues in Bangladesh, emphasising the importance of safe food packaging in light of the country's recently introduced stringent standards for printing inks used in food packaging.

Presenting the main article at the roundtable, Jatin Takkar commended Bangladesh's progress in enhancing food safety. He stressed the urgent need to align with Bangladesh's latest standard on food packaging, advocating for a regulatory and supply chain approach to develop safe food packaging.

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) plays a crucial role in determining the type of ink used for food product packaging.

The organisation recently took a significant step to ensure public safety with the publication of the "Bangladesh Standard: Printing Ink for Food Packaging Code of Practice 2023" in late September. The standard outlines restrictions on harmful chemicals like toluene, arsenic, lead, and mercury in inks used for food packaging.

Despite the new standard, there are allegations of cheap ink being used in packaging due to it not being mandatory. In response, Jatin Takkar urged the creation of public awareness by specifying "toluene-free" or "benzene-free" on labels during the printing process.

Addressing a question, Jatin Takkar mentioned that Vietnam has already implemented tough measures on the chemical quality of ink, and Indonesia is considering similar actions.

Siegwerk, a leading global manufacturer with over 200 years of expertise in printing inks and coatings, has taken strides towards safer practices.

In the Meghna Economic Zone in Narayanganj, the company launched a state-of-the-art blending centre in January 2021, producing toluene-free printing inks and coatings for packaging, labels, and coatings.