At the end of 2023, we at GSE polled our packaging converter customers about their greatest ink-related challenges and concerns. Traceability, quality assurance and auditing came out on top – even ahead of colour accuracy. This finding highlights the importance of safety in the supply chains for food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
Packaging printers for foods and pharmaceutical goods are bound by food safety standards because their raw materials and processes can indirectly impact food safety. For instance, UV flexo ink ingredients must not migrate through the packaging to the contents.
Why traceability is important for food safety
It’s vital that converters can prove compliance with legislation on forbidden ink products in food and pharmaceutical packaging, and do so quickly – to minimise the risk and scope of a product recall for example.
Because of this, brands expect their packaging suppliers to have in place a documented traceability procedure. There must be a system to trace and follow all raw materials from the supplier, through processing steps and distribution of the finished product, and backwards. Traceability must also be maintained when rework is conducted or when tests and samples are performed.
Tough demands of traceability audits
The traceability audits of standards bodies specifically test for fast problem-solving. For instance, the British Retail Consortium Global Standard (BRCGS) expects the site to recover randomly selected materials, including ink ingredients, within a time limit of four hours. To pass and thus demonstrate a functional traceability system, the audited supplier must recover a minimum 98% of all selected materials.
Matching ink batches to the job – and vice-versa
BRCGS requires the recording of ink-supplier batch ID numbers, and a system that traces which sales orders those ink batches have been processed for. Batch numbers must be recorded from the raw material to the package. This enables raw materials tracing from both directions:
- Ink batch to job: if an ink supplier alerts the printer to a problem, the problematic batch is recalled on the system, to identify which jobs it was used for.
- Job to ink batch: if a customer, such as a brand owner, reports an occurrence of contamination, and the supplier looks up the job number to identify the raw materials used for making the affected product.
GSE Traceability software: instant reporting, automated record-keeping
Given the complexity and short response times expected, it’s practically impossible to manage traceability manually. However, dedicated software is available to automate processes, helping converters comply, with minimum administration costs or delay.
It is specifically suited for the non-linear ink workflow route, which includes blending with other ingredients and reuse of press-return inks.
The GSE Traceability software module is an example. It automates the record-keeping of ink batches and allows instant creation of traceability reports, described in batch-to-job or job-to-batch sequences.
Once the module is activated, the user keys in a batch code every time a barrel is exchanged at the dispensing system, or when a component is manually added.
Every dispense job gets its unique container ID number. A batch code is created for every base ink ingredient that is dispensed for the job. The batch code is stored with the job and container details in the software’s database.
Traceability reports
Along with container IDs, reports include, among others, formulas, production dates and expiry dates of fresh dispensed inks, identification of batch codes of previous and subsequent barrels.
GSE Traceability may be complemented with two other software modules that provide extra functionalities. GSE Order management software allows reports to be enhanced with sales order information, while GSE Return ink management software enables tracking of returned spot colours through up to 99 cycles. Traceability reports then also include information about container IDs, formulas, order number, storage locations and expiry dates of the return inks.
Why traceability software is essential
Overall, traceability software assures compliance in a highly regulated, fast-paced food and pharmaceutical supply chain – minimizing the risk of food safety incidents related to packaging and reducing the costs of documentation, while enhancing consumer confidence.
