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 aligns with the company’s commitment to becoming a positive circular economy driver.
Siegwerk, one of the leading global providers of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels headquartered in Germany, announced its ‘Mineral Oil Free Ink’ range in the Indian market. As a huge group of chemicals, mineral oils have earned disrepute globally for their bad toxicological profile, with several research studies confirming the migration of mineral oils into 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.
Siegwerk talks about its achievement of 100% food-safe operations in India
In an exclusive virtual event to launch the mineral-oil-free ink line, titled the Vega series, the company announced its achievement of 100% food-safe operations in India. The launch marks the transformation of company’s Bhiwadi manufacturing unit into a fully mineral-oil-free plant.
While announcing the launch of Mineral Oil-free Ink range, Vega, Ramakrishna Karanth, chief executive officer, 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 using toxic ingredients before any legislation on their prohibition is established. Siegwerk India will henceforth be supplying links 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 versatile 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, also commented at the launch, “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 and 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.
