Henkel’s new high-performance adhesive system for sterilisation of flexible packaging is completely free of GLYMO, epoxy silane and heavy metals.

 

Consumer expectations toward food safety in packaging are rising and legislators are tightening the rules to ensure this. As a driving force in the field of laminating adhesives that enable food-safe packaging, Henkel is introducing a new solution to the market – a formulation specifically developed for high-performance packaging applications, which include thermal processes like sterilisation. It is completely free of GLYMO, epoxy silane and heavy metals.

 

Loctite Liofol LA 2798 has been designed as a modular system and is highly versatile as such. The base component can be combined with different hardeners for the respective area of application: for sterilisation processes, aggressive filling goods, and hot filling processes. The fields of application range from pet food and medical applications to convenience products. 

 

“Common flexible packaging adhesives in the high-performance segment may still rely on GLYMO as an adhesion promoter. Henkel, however, has always attached the highest importance to offering clean and uncritical formulations,” explained Helga Garmann, Manager of Product Development Polyurethanes Europe at Henkel. 

 

Following the 11th Amendment to the EU Plastics Regulation (EU 10/2011), GLYMO has now been assessed as potentially genotoxic. A limit of 0.15µg/kg has been defined to ensure its safe use for food applications. While the substance is explicitly allowed to be used, the Regulation also means the packaging producer must verify that its concentration (as well as that of its derivatives) remains below the specified migration limits under conditions of use. “As testing is complex, we recommend the use of adhesives that do not contain any GLYMO,” Garmann elaborated.