DIC India edifies about ban of toluene based inks for food packaging

DIC India edifies about ban of toluene based inks for food packaging

DIC India has taken a step further in raising the awareness of customers across Indian subcontinent about the recent toluene ban announced by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for food packaging. By leveraging its unique digital programme, DIC Konnect, the company is seamlessly reaching out to its customers and helping them to adopt new methods of printing.

Due to an increase in packaged food consumption, awareness and demand for quality products, India has seen a rise in sustainable packaging in the food and beverage industry. Thus, in a move towards ensuring a safe packaging environment in the country, BIS recently prohibited the use of toluene-based inks for food packaging applications under a revision of its IS15495 regulation. The need for revision came into existence due to the various harmful effects the chemical has on the human body and environment.

As per the new regulation, BIS has also laid down other standard guidelines for printing inks for use on food packaging for printers and converters. Furthermore, since the food industry mainly uses printing inks for external packaging, immediate food wrapping, as a printed wrapper or insert and disposables, BIS has defined certain norms under each of these categories.

To create mindshare regarding the BIS toluene ban and aid the customers in meeting the regulation norms, the company leveraged its digital initiative. Under the programme, a series of webinars were organised with the customers with an aim to guide them about the best industry practices to restart their printing process post the lockdown, address their concerns as well as demonstrate its product portfolio. Throughout India’s Unlock Phase 1, 2 and 3, the company was maintaining a close proximity with the customers through this platform and has been constantly supporting them.
Manish Bhatia, MD and CEO, DIC India, said, “BIS toluene ban is a commendable step taken by the regulatory body to steer the industry into a more sustainable and safe packaging direction. Since our customers have always been at the core of our strategy, we wanted to ensure that they are well-aligned with the new government regulation. Thus, following the lockdown norms, we decided to bank upon DIC Konnect initiative, our one-of-a-kind virtual engagement strategy, wherein we hosted webinars with our customers and edified them about the toluene ban, preparing them to gain a competitive edge in their future.”

“DIC India has been at the forefront of bringing in innovative and advanced printing ink and allied products to the industry. Moreover, over the years, we have developed a robust portfolio of non-toluene ink products that will benefit our partners in making necessary adjustments in their machinery with ease,” he added.

The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and solutions ranging from publishing inks to inks and adhesives for packaging. Moreover, the company has been delivering toluene-free ink portfolios in India for more than a decade. Some of the cutting edge non-toluene solutions offered by the company are namely Smart KF, a solvent-based gravure lamination ink system intended for high-end printing applications; Ultralam NT, a toluene-free general purpose ink.