Flint launches Flexocure Ancora 50 UV flexo inks for label and packaging applications

Flexocure Ancore 50 is a UV flexo low migration ink for food labels and certain flexible packaging applications, and is fully compliant to Swiss Ordinance SR 817.023.21 listing and to the Nestlé Guidance Note on Packaging inks (version 3, Feb 21 2014). The inks have been thoroughly tested and proven to pass migration tests, exposed to the following food simulants listed in Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 (Plastics Regulation): food simulant E: Tenax (MPPO); food simulant B:  three percent acetic acid; and food simulant D1: 50 percent ethanol.

To support the global launch of Flexocure Ancora 50, Flint Group has completed a comprehensive investment plan to ensure increased production capacity with full GMP systems is in place.

Dr Patrick Gavelin, director of product development in the EMEA region and Asia at Flint Group Narrow Web, said: ‘Flexocure Ancora 50 has been developed to meet the modern demands of our industry today without jeopardising legislation in place for food safety. But, in all regulations it has not been totally clear on what end use the so called ‘low migration technology’ can be used. Nor was it necessary to specify this. With Flexocure Ancora 50 this becomes very clear.

‘By developing a product that meets 10 ppb migration demands using the food simulants noted, we actually cover a wide area of food and drink labels and packaging applications. Of course, other factors, such as print design, packaging material used, and also the packed food storage conditions, all have an impact on determining the final packaging’s suitability for respective applications. But, with Flexocure Ancora 50, we can provide a product that enables printers to comply fully and meet the demands of the industry.’

Guillaume Clement, global vice president at Flint Group Narrow Web, said: ‘With the introduction of Flexocure Ancora 50 we are expanding our portfolio of dedicated inks to suit the growing world of short run label and packaging applications. This ink series is specially designed to support converters who print labels for the food segment.

‘Flexocure Ancora 50 meets some specific packaging applications where low migration inks are required. It complements our existing UV flexo low migration ink series,  Flexocure Ancora, and our UV offset, Lithocure Ancora – both dedicated to the most stringent food packaging applications. Ancora becomes a comprehensive umbrella and a point of reference for customers looking for high quality and compliant low migration inks with a great efficiency on press.’

‘Not only have we designed a UV flexo ink range that is fulfilling migration demands, parallel to this we have used our research competencies in ensuring press performance remains unrivaled – with the highest possible cure response, high colour strength, very good adhesion to a wide range of both flexible packaging, filmic, and paper label materials,’ concluded Par Olsson, Flint Group Narrow Web EMEA product manager. ‘With the superb overall performance of Flexocure Ancora 50, this will be a massive productivity boost for any narrow and mid web converter.’