Consumer Know-how

Your questions on food safe packaging

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Offering unique safety evaluation competence

With increasing awareness on health and safety aspects on the part of consumers and the trade sector, a thorough documentation along the entire food and packaging value chain is of utmost importance. On this page, we have compiled key topics of interest that are targeted at proving your safety. Benefit from our profound consumer know-how and deepen your understanding on important food safe packaging related topics.

Henkel possesses a unique triple safety evaluation competence to help customers in their risk assessment for packaging. Our commitment to transparency in communication and documentation means providing our customers with relevant information on the ingredients of our adhesive solutions. The fundamentals of our evaluation standard include:

Supplier questionnaire
Analytical assessments
Toxicological risk assessments

We can perform these assessments on every level ranging from raw materials to final products. The result of all our assessments is included in Henkel’s Food Contact Statement that contains detailed information and explanations with regard to compliance with underlying legislations, a clear communication on migration test conditions and additional information on adhesive components.

Learn more on how to prove your safety!

Prove Your Safety

Explore our Food Safety Training Center

Mineral oils in food packaging have clearly become a focus of public attention. One of the most prominent examples includes mineral oils contained in chocolate from advent calendars. Different analyses done by the Food Control Authority in Switzerland have shown that mineral oil components are present in a lot of packed food. On a general note, these are not well defined single chemical substances but fractions consisting of several substances. Their origins and sources can be multifaceted and thus need thorough analysis. At Henkel, we have accumulated profound knowledge about mineral oil components in relation to adhesives and are eager to share our expertise with you.

Download our white paper “Mineral Oil Components in Food Packaging Adhesives”

Learn more on chemicals under discussion

Adhesives can be found frequently in food packaging and food labeling. Examples include:

Paper converting operations, e.g. adhesives for bags, pouches & sacks, folding carton or paper and board laminating
Flexible packaging operations, in which the food (e.g. coffee beans, potato chips, candies) is often packaged in structures that contain several layers depending on the intended use of the package
End of line packaging operations, e.g. final bonding of cartons and folding boxes, straw attachment or tray erection
Labeling operations, e.g. labeling of glass, plastics or metal containers or fruit stickers using pressure sensitive adhesives

In these and still further applications, the adhesive is a small, yet integral part of the packaging design. So far, however, the food industry used to concentrate on paper and board as well as printing inks and varnishes, while adhesives in food packages often remain a “forgotten layer”. Click on the links below in order to learn more about where adhesives are applied in food packaging and discover Henkel’s adhesive solutions.

Learn more on Henkel's Paper Converting Adhesives

Learn more on Henkel's End of Line Packaging Adhesives

Learn more on Henkel's Flexible Packaging Adhesives & Coatings

Learn more on Henkel's Label Adhesives

If you have not found the answer to your specific question on food safe packaging yet or if you have any suggestions, then please send us a message with your question or comment. Our adhesive experts will be glad to help you.