We’ve been hearing about benzophenone more and more often. Luckily if we may add.
Benzophenone is , in fact, one of the most harmful substances around, and it has a close correlation with recycled paper and its derivatives.
What are we talking about here? What is benzophenone?
Benzophenone and 4-methylbenzophenone are chemical compounds used, amongst other applications, in inks for food packaging. In 2009, traces of 4-methylbenzophenone were found in breakfast cereals from a well-known manufacturer. The discovery has led the European authorities (with the contribution of the European Food Safety Authority, the authority that monitors the healthiness of food for the EU) to carry out a series of investigations to assess the danger of these substances.
In short, the result of the EFSA investigations led to the assessment that exposure to low values of 4-methylbenzophenone and benzophenone are not harmful for health, as long as the exposure is sporadic. However, the Authority has delegated the individual national authorities to regulate the acceptable levels of exposure to benzophenone, according to the criteria presented by scientific community of each country.
There is extensive public documentation of these events.
As a result, strictness of the parameters varies greatly from one country to another, across the EU.
Storage conditions can make a difference
Luckily, food contamination does not happen overnight. In most cases it can take a long time for the process to set in (there are different European and US studies) but there are conditions that can speed it up.
Direct sun exposure
Temperature increase
humidity changes
These are all typical conditions goods in storage yards or in open-air warehouses may come in contact with. We all have seen it, at least once. For this reason, the risk should not be underestimated.
What does all this have to do with recycled paper?
Recycled paper can contain contaminants from inks. In fact, almost any kind of paper product can be found in waste paper: from newspaper to food packaging. In the recycling process, the pulp is subjected to various washing treatments, but, in some cases, traces of inking agents may still appear.
This is where the difference between the different kind of paper become apparent.
What about the cardboard of Cartiera Fornaci? The results of the analyzes speak for themselves.
We, as a company active in one of the most complex supply chains on the market, could not afford to waste time taking up this challenge. We’ve been working on it for quite some time now.
At Cartiera Fornaci, we periodically submit our cardboard to external laboratories, that certify its composition and guarantee its suitability.
The control is then extended to an external certifying authority that verifies the requirements for indirect contact with food.
In all these years we have worked to guarantee our customers and the final consumer a cardboard that, not only match the values set by the law, but goes even further, presenting avg. values 85% lower than that, even under “stress conditions” such as those we have discussed so far.
For sake of transparency policy, you can download the documentation from the button below for free.
DOWNLOAD THE UPDATED RESULT OF THE ANALYSIS
This is why the leader brands in mineral waters and consumer beverages choose us for their interlayer and packaging supplies. We are able to certify the results of our commitment, not only to the recycling economy, but first and foremost to a healthier and safer environment for everybody.
That’s why you can trust Cartiera Fornaci’s cardboard.