Siegwerk enters pharma packaging

Siegwerk has entered the pharmaceutical packaging segment in India with a range of mineral-oil-free inks designed to address growing consumer safety concerns.

The company announced the strategic move on October 30, 2025, positioning it to address rising global concerns about substances that can migrate into packaged products and significantly impact human health. The company aims to redefine packaging safety standards with the launch of a dedicated range of mineral oil-free inks for India's growing pharmaceutical sector.

According to Siegwerk, conventional offset printing inks often contain mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOHs). These substances are increasingly under global regulatory scrutiny for their tendency to migrate into packaged products and printed food, and for their potential to form aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAHs), which have been linked to carcinogenic effects. While some countries are drafting legal bans, some global brands have already restricted or banned their use in packaging.

'As a company deeply committed to safety and sustainability, Siegwerk believes that the pharmaceutical industry must take a holistic view, recognizing that packaging materials play a critical role in ensuring product integrity,' commented Ashish Pradhan, president of Siegwerk Asia. 'With our mineral oil-free ink systems, we are providing pharma brands in India with a safer, compliant alternative that protects consumers and aligns with evolving global standards.'

Siegwerk's mineral oil-free inks are engineered to exclude mineral oils as an intentionally added substance. The development of these inks is underpinned by a rigorous raw material introduction system backed by Siegwerk's Global product safety, which establishes comprehensive safety oversight currently unmatched in the Indian ink industry. This approach not only ensures paramount consumer protection but also directly enhances the global competitiveness of Indian pharmaceutical exporters.

While regulatory bodies in the EU have begun taking stricter action against MOHs in food and pharmaceutical packaging, India currently lacks explicit guidelines governing printing inks in the pharmaceutical sector, a gap that Siegwerk aims to address by raising awareness and driving higher industry standards.

The company sees significant long-term potential in the pharmaceutical segment in India, where demand for high-quality, export-compliant packaging is accelerating. The announcement comes after Siegwerk's INR 350 Cr investment aimed not just to meet current regulatory benchmarks but to go beyond them by pioneering next-generation, safe and sustainable ink technologies that anticipate the needs of the packaging industry. This initiative aligns with Siegwerk's broader vision of driving safer, more sustainable packaging practices globally.