JAPAN – Japan’s leading manufacturer of laminating adhesives, Toyo-Morton has launched a new series of laminating adhesives that are free of epoxy silanes and organic tin compounds.
The new lineup includes the solvent-based TOMOFLEX and the solvent-free ECOAD series of laminating adhesives.
According to the Toyo-Morton, a member of the Toyo Ink Group, both materials are suited for a wide range of multilayer flexible packaging applications, including dry food, liquid pouches, and high-performance retorts.
All products in the lineup conform to global food contact regulations for adhesives, such as the EU No.10/2011, U.S. FDA 175.105, China GB 9685-2016, and Japan’s Notification No. 196.
Epoxy silane is commonly used as an adhesion promoter in multilayer flexible packaging structures, helping to protect packaged content and extend its shelf life.
Food packaging regulation has recently been tightening, primarily in the EU, due to human health safety concerns.
This trend has prompted global converters and food manufacturers to seek out safer alternatives for use in multi-layered flexible packaging.
“While epoxy silanes are not currently subject to regulatory control, we are proactively eliminating substances of concern from our products,” explains Joji Suzuki, Director and Senior General Manager of Toyo-Morton’s Technical Division.
“The new lineup was formulated to address the growing regulatory demands that converters and food manufacturers face regarding food packaging safety.”
The adhesive products are not only free of epoxy silanes and organic tin compounds but also offer the same physical properties and performance levels as regular products.
Under the TOMOFLEX™ solvent-based series, the TM-2470 is specially formulated for liquid pouch applications like soups, frozen foods, pickled foods and noodles.
The TM-3040 is suitable for contents such as the dry food packaging of snack foods, candies and pet foods.
For high-performance retort applications, the TM-2300 aliphatic system is suitable for high-temperature retort pouch laminating structures according to U.S. FDA 177.1390.
Rounding out the portfolio are the ECOAD™ series of solvent-free adhesives, the EA-N6008 for liquid pouches and the EA-N6001 for dry food applications.
In addition to enhanced food safety, ECOAD systems enable converters to increase their productivity through high-speed lamination on metalized film structures.
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