Sustainable & Low Migration Inks for Food Packaging

UV Offset Low Migration Ink & Coatings for safer Food Packaging - Building Compliance, Confidence & Control

In food packaging, performance only matters when it is matched by trust.

Brand owners and converters today operate in an environment where regulatory scrutiny is intense, consumer awareness is rising, and the margin for error is virtually zero. In this context, inks and coatings are no longer just print enablers - they are risk variables that must be actively managed.

This is why food packaging demands a low migration, compliance-first approach to UV Offset printing. Not as a product choice, but as a system discipline.

A System View of Low Migration Printing

Food packaging is never about a single component.

Inks, coatings, substrates, curing conditions and post-print operations interact continuously. Migration behaviour, odour neutrality and regulatory compliance cannot be addressed in isolation.

DIC has therefore engineered its low migration ink and coating technologies as an integrated portfolio - designed to support converters and brand owners across multiple print processes and application environments.

This portfolio spans:

UV Offset low migration inks for sensitive packaging
Vegetable-based, mineral oil–free sheetfed offset inks for paper and board, with up to 89% renewable materials and is designed for food packaging
UV coatings for outer-wrap protection and finish

All developed to align with key global standards including:

EuPIA Guidelines for printing inks
Swiss Ordinance (DFI – Annex 10)
Nestlé Guidance on Printing Inks for Food Packaging
ISO 2846-1 and ISO 12647-2

The intent is simple: enable packaging structures that perform reliably on press while standing up to audits, migration testing, and long-term regulatory scrutiny.

Primary Ink Systems: Built for Low Migration and Low Odour

SunCure FLME-T - Low Migration UV Offset Ink System

At the core of DIC’s Low migration food packaging offering is SunCure FLME-T - a high-performance UV curable lithographic ink system developed specifically for:

Primary food packaging (non-food contact surfaces)
Outer wraps and sensitive goods packaging
Applications where migration risk has been formally identified

Key design principles include:

Carefully selected raw materials from audited suppliers
Excellent taint and odour performance
Free from Bisphenol A, VOCs and high-migration photo initiators
Formulated to support ISO 2846-1 compliance and colour stability under ISO 12647-2

SunCure FLME-T is not positioned as a standalone ink. It is engineered as part of a complete application system that anticipates coating, conversion and end-use conditions.

Low Migration UV Coatings: Completing the System

While inks control migration at the source, coatings play a critical role in surface protection, rub resistance and visual finish - provided their use is technically appropriate.

DIC’s SunCure LMLO UV coatings are designed for non-food contact surfaces and outer wraps, supporting compliance while enhancing aesthetics and durability:

44LF121 - Gloss low migration coating with excellent rub resistance
44LF154 - Gloss stampable coating enabling post-print operations
44LF261 - Silk finish coating for premium appearance
44LF391 - Ultra-matt coating formulated for lowest migration potential

These coatings:

Are free from BPA, VOCs and migratory photo initiators
Align with Swiss Ordinance and Nestlé requirements
Support odour neutrality and surface integrity

Important clarification: these UV coatings enhance surface performance but are not intended to act as regulatory barrier layers for direct food contact.

Their role is to complete a compliant UV Offset printing system - not replace packaging design controls.

Vegetable-Based & MOF-Free Offset Portfolio for Paper and Board

For applications requiring renewable content and mineral oil–free chemistry, DIC also offers vegetable-based sheetfed offset inks designed for food packaging.

These systems:

Contain up to 89% renewable materials
Use non-fossil fuel sourced carbon pigments
Enable Cradle to Cradle material health compliance at Platinum level
Are free from Bisphenol A and heavy-metal drying catalysts such as cobalt or manganese

All raw materials (excluding pigments) are approved as food ingredients, delivering a strong balance between environmental responsibility and packaging safety.

SunPak FSP - For Indirect Food Contact

SunPak FSP is designed for low migration, low odour performance in indirect food contact applications such as cartons, labels and secondary packaging.

Key attributes include:

Controlled migration behaviour
Neutral odour profile
Stable curing and press performance
Compliance with ISO printing standards
Absence of Bisphenol A and heavy-metal driers

This makes SunPak FSP a dependable foundation ink for converters operating in regulated food packaging environments.

SunPak Direct Food Plus (DF Plus) - When the Pack Touches the Product

Certain applications demand even higher safety thresholds.

SunPak DF Plus is developed specifically for direct food contact scenarios and features:

Vegetable-based, mineral oil–free formulation
79-88% renewable material content
Raw materials (except pigments) approved as food ingredients
No Bisphenol A and no heavy-metal drying catalysts

DF Plus enables converters to address the most sensitive packaging risks without compromising on print quality or operational reliability.

Regulatory Confidence That Holds Under Scrutiny

Across inks and coatings, DIC’s food packaging portfolio is built around:

Swiss Ordinance compliance
Alignment with EuPIA and Nestlé guidance
GMP manufacturing practices
Support for application-specific migration risk assessments

This gives converters and brand owners confidence not just during print approvals, but through audits, customer reviews and cross-border regulatory checks.