Food Packaging Marking & Coding Solutions

Few industries are as highly regulated as food production and packaging. As is the case with fields like pharmaceutical development and chemical manufacturing, those in the food industry have to consider many laws, standards, and regulations to even get their products in stores. From state-level meat and dairy coding regulations to federal labeling standards like Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA), food manufacturers and co-packers often have to comply with a multitude of labeling laws in order to avoid expensive fines and product recalls. 

Depending on product specifics, food companies are frequently tasked with labeling their products with:

• Lot codes
• Serial numbers
• Expiration dates
• Barcodes/data matrices

At InkJet, Inc., we have helped companies comply with food packaging marking and coding guidelines for over 30 years. With our wide variety of specialty inks and diverse marking hardware, we can help you place traceable codes and markings on nearly any food packaging substrate.

Comply With Food Industry Marking Standards With Custom Printing Solutions

Just as food supply chains have gradually expanded in scope and complexity, the need for unbroken traceability has risen as well. In response to public health concerns and high profile food safety issues, state and local governments around the world have continuously issued new traceability regulations to counteract problems like:

• Higher risks of food spoilage due to longer supply chains
• The proliferation of counterfeit products sold through online retailers
• A higher likelihood of contamination arising from diversely-sourced ingredients

Multiple Printer Options for Different Scale Operations 

In a field as diverse as food packaging, there’s no way that one printer type can satisfy all coding needs. Key production elements like output needs, facility environment, and packaging materials can all influence whether a printer is a perfect fit or completely unusable. For these reasons, InkJet, Inc. carries a variety of printers, ranging from high-speed continuous inkjet printers to high-resolution thermal inkjet printers and case coders.

Whether your company is involved in small-scale fresh produce packaging or industrial meatpacking, InkJet, Inc. has a printing solution. Some of our most popular options include:

The DuraCode Continuous Inkjet Printer: Designed to mark packages at speeds above 300 m/min, the DuraCode is able to code both porous and non-porous substrates uninterrupted for up to 24 hours a day. Built with an IP55 outer structure and able to operate in temperatures ranging from 41-113° F, the DuraCode CIJ can withstand potentially hazardous environmental elements to deliver quality coding results day in and day out.

The Anser U2 Pro-S Thermal Inkjet Printer: Compact and cost-effective, the Anser U2 Pro-S is a great hardware choice for operations that don’t require the industrial marking speeds offered by CIJ printers. Although the Pro-S’s physical footprint is small, it can still create required product markings at speeds up to 120 m/min and machine-scannable codes at 600 x 300 DPI on a variety of porous and non-porous materials.

The Anser X1 Thermal Inkjet Printer: Even though the Anser X1 is a thermal inkjet printer, you wouldn’t know that from its high-speed marking capabilities. Able to print at speeds up to 300 m/min, the Anser X1 is one of the most powerful TIJ models on the market today. Beyond industrial speed marking, the Anser X1 offers a number of other impressive features, including a max resolution of 600 x 600 DPI, a 3.87-inch print height (with stitched printheads), IP66 protection, and the ability to control two different production lines simultaneously.

Precision Series 72 High-Resolution Case Coder: Designed to print directly onto cardboard shipping cartons, the Precision Series 72 allows users to replace physical labels with directly applied codes, text, and images. If you’re looking to improve your secondary packaging processes, the Precision Series 72 can help you reduce physical labeling needs for higher overall efficiency.

Compatible Inks for Every Major Packaging Material

Even if you buy the best printer in the world, you won’t be able to comply with today’s stringent marking standards without the right ink. After all, coding success relies on using substrate-compatible formulas to mark product packaging. For example, if you tried to use the same formula to mark both cold fill bottling and flexible films, you would inevitably end up with messy, unreadable codes.

To help ensure marking success, InkJet, Inc. maintains a diverse ink catalog filled with formulas for every substrate, including:

Want To Improve Your Food Packaging Marking & Coding Processes? Call InkJet, Inc. Today

For over 30 years, the InkJet, Inc. team has helped companies across the food packaging industry to comply with strict marking standards. In that time, we’ve learned what it takes to make application-specific coding solutions that deliver quality results on a consistent basis. Contact us today to learn which solution will work best for you.

To learn more about how InkJet, Inc. can help you complete food packaging marking and coding applications, contact us online today or call 1(800) 280-3245