Siegwerk, one of the leading global providers of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels headquartered in Germany, has launched its ‘Mineral Oil Free Ink’ range in the Indian market. Mineral oils as a huge group of chemicals have earned disrepute globally for their bad toxicological profile with several research studies confirming the migration of mineral oils into the food. The uptake of specific mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOHs) is seen as a potential health hazard, as some saturated mineral oils (MOSH) may accumulate in human tissue while some aromatic mineral oils (MOAH) may even cause cancer.
In an exclusive virtual event for the launch of the mineral-oil-free ink line, titled the Vega series, Siegwerk announced its achievement of 100% food-safe operations in India. The launch marks the transformation of Siegwerk’s Bhiwadi manufacturing unit into a fully mineral-oil-free plant. Siegwerk’s Bhiwadi plant will be 100% mineral-oil-free with effect from 1 May 2022, making the company the first in India to do so. The move is in line with Siegwerk’s commitment to becoming a positive circular economy driver
While announcing the launch of Mineral-Oil-free Ink range, Vega, Ramakrishna Karanth, CEO, Siegwerk India sub-continent said, “In the past few years, scientific journals have published analyses on the hazardous effects of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOHs) and saturated mineral oils (MOSH) in food packaging. The manifold adverse effects make it an issue related to consumer safety and occupational safety. We at Siegwerk nurture an inflexible safety culture with a focused commitment to improving end-consumer and environmental safety. As a market leader for safe inks and as a strong proponent of safety, we have proactively stopped the use of toxic ingredients before any legislation on their prohibition are established. Siegwerk India will henceforth be supplying inks that do not contain mineral oils from its blending centers in India”.
Ashish Pradhan, president, Siegwerk Asia, unveiled the new line of mineral-oil-free inks. The ink series consists of Vega Prorich, Vega Impression, Vega Nature LT, Vega Sprint, Vega Vibrant+ and Vega Prime ink lines – which cater to their respective specializations.
Ashesh Mukherjee, vice president and business head, sheetfed business, Siegwerk India, said, “The Vega line is the brainchild of Siegwerk’s key principles like innovation, safety and ability to offer superior products and services. Vega embodies rich color strength, excellent printing quality with dot sharpness, brighter color share and high gloss and excellent drying properties, all set to transcend consumer expectations. With VEGA, we set out on a journey to ensure the safety of our supply chain partners as well as the end consumers.”
A captivating addition to the mega launch, Harsha Bhogle, renowned cricket commentator and management consultant, was the special guest speaker at the event.
The apex quality and safety regulators in India – Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have spotlighted the importance of packaging safety through the Food Safety and Standard (Packaging) Regulations, 2018 and its revisions. Even prior to any such legislation, Siegwerk has been an avid advocate of non-toxic inks with uncompromised commitment towards product safety. Siegwerk’s VEGA line was launched in response to a growing demand for transparency and safer ingredients in packaging products. These inks were designed with the 3 S’s in mind – Safety, Sustainability and Satisfaction of the customer.