People nowadays are easier to eat their favourite food. The food can be dine in, either take it home. When the food is taken home, it requires proper food packaging. It is better for culinary business people to have a little knowledge about food grade packaging, considering that customer’s safety is their responsibility. Picking wrong packaging can cause a problem because not all food packaging on the market is safe to use.
The term of food grade packaging may be familiar to Indonesians, especially those engaged in the culinary business. Even so, there are still many food and beverage sellers who use plastic and Styrofoam-based packaging as food and beverage wrapping materials.
Food Grade Regulations
Before looking at the food grade regulations that have been applied, you need to know that primary food packaging cannot be made from certain ingredients. Based on the Regulation of the Head of the POM No. HK00.05.55.6497, packaging which wraps food or drink, whether it is in direct contact or not, may not contain plastic, paper, cellophane, rubber, elastomer, glass, ceramic, metal or metal alloy, and cardboard.
Food grade packaging itself already has its own regulations in various parts of the world, such as in European countries which have EC 1935/2004 regulation which regulates the types of chemical compounds, levels of content, identification of the origin of the compounds, and also the pollution threshold of the packaging materials.
Meanwhile in the United States, there are standards and regulations imposed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where there are requirements that oblige each food packaging manufacturer to describe all the main ingredients of making the packaging. The same thing was done in China with the Guo Biao (GB) regulation.
Basically, each of these regulations takes into account how each material component meets food grade standards, seen from the type of chemical compound, the decomposition process, the level of purity, and the presence or absence of usage restrictions. Food packaging that has been labeled as food grade does not always mean it is free from chemical components, but means that it has no toxic components.
In addition, food grade packaging must also meet several general standards, namely packaging materials are used according to recommended temperatures, packaging materials are safe for the type of food being wrapped, and the content in the packaging does not change when it goes through the sanitation process.
Why Food Grade Packaging is a Must
As a culinary businessman, there will be a temptation to switch to cheaper food packaging because food grade packaging prices tend to be more expensive. However, take a look at food grade packaging as an important component of the success of your culinary business. Buyers, of course, are now smarter in choosing the food and beverage products they buy. Using food grade packaging will improve your culinary business class.
Then, the Biomaterials Research Center at LIPI revealed that packaging that is not classified as food grade, such as recycled paper, contains hazardous chemical compounds from metals, ink, wax, to bleach. What’s more, the risk of fungi and other microorganisms is very high.
If you allow your consumers to consume foods and drinks from these dangerous packaging, there will be long-term health effects such as cancer, gene mutations, reproductive disorders, and endocrine system disorders. Therefore, make sure your food and beverage products have food grade packaging. If you are looking for a food grade packaging manufacturer, Tjetak.com is ready to help. You don’t need to bother with ordering because the entire process can be done online.
Food Grade Packaging Printing in Bali
Now you are going to have a food grade packaging for your restaurant, but you still can’t decide where to print it? MK Printing Bali will help you to design a custom food grade packaging for your business.
Customized food grade packaging will not only put your business’ brand on it. The more take-away order from your restaurant, your restaurant’s name will be more popular than before. People will notice the name, the food and also the food grade packaging.