Industrial adhesives have been used in the Food Packaging Industry for over one hundred years. In the early years of the 20th century, natural based adhesives from animal and vegetable sources were the mainstay. The 1930’s saw the advent of synthetic polymer water-based adhesive. After World War II, we saw the development of synthetic based hot melt adhesives. Today, hot melt adhesives are now the dominant player in food packaging industry.

The new century has brought about an increased focus on food safety and all the components that go into food packaging. This can best be summed up by Cass Wade-Kudla, who was the Senior Manager for General Mills Global Product Safety and Regulatory Affairs Packaging Division.

“If you supply a food company, you are no longer just the packaging industry, you are a part of the food industry. We treat food packaging with the same food safety rigor as food ingredients.”

Source: Food Safety Magazine 

Why FDA Approval is Important?

At Action Adhesives we take this statement very seriously. All our adhesives food related adhesives are FDA approved for use in the food industry. The FDA approval is the most widely accepted global standard for adhesives used in the food and drink industry. For an adhesive, it certifies that every ingredient used in the product, has been deemed safe for direct and indirect food contact, as required by the specific manufacturer.

Do I need an FDA certified adhesive?

All the components of food packaging can contain substances with migration potential. This can affect not only taste, but in the case of unsafe ingredients, the health of the consumer of that product. In the past, the industry has concentrated mainly on paper, board, printing inks and varnishes. The forgotten layer, until recently, was the adhesives used in the final construction of the food package. Foods such as chocolates and cereals can be very susceptible to odours from the adhesives being absorbed into the packaged food affecting taste.

Action Adhesives carries a complete line of hot melt packaging adhesives formulated specifically as low or no odour adhesives. These have been tested to ensure no offending odours or ingredients will migrate into the contents of the packages. This ensure no lingering taste effect from the packaging and so ensuring the safety of the food.

What Adhesives are suitable for use in the Food Industry?

At Action Adhesives, we have a wide range of FDA approved adhesives specifically formulated for safe use within the food industry. This range can be found in use in many food products already available on the Irish and European markets.

Our investment in holistic, interdisciplinary food safe packaging expertise protects our customers’ brands by mitigating risks related to food safety, quality, and compliance in packaging.

I found my Adhesive, but how do I apply it?

At Action Adhesives, we will work with your business to find the most suitable food grade adhesive. Once we have met your requirements, we can also support you in setting up an application system. Through our sister entity Hot Melt Equipment, we can provide you with the most suitable hot melt application system for your business requirements. This can include both manual and automated hot melt application systems with a wide range of applications solutions.

Where can I learn more?

To learn more about our Action Adhesives range of Hot Melt Adhesives, you can visit our webpage dedicated to our hot melt adhesives range.