The Hubergroup, also known as Huber Micro in India, launched its new range of offset inks for the carton packaging industry on 7 and 9 September 2016 in Mumbai and Delhi, respectively. This follows the launch of Huber’s Gecko range of food grade inks for the flexible packaging industry last year. The new MGA offset printing inks are low migration inks manufactured under fully controlled and hygienic conditions using safe ingredients for food cartons.
Talking about the launch, Ashwani Bhardwaj, chief executive officer of Hubergroup India said, “The launch represents a landmark in the 10-year integration of Huber’s global and Indian R&D and manufacturing process teams as well as the entirety of the two organizations. The production of a globally standard product, such as the low migration inks for cartons, represents several technical challenges that were overcome by the collective efforts of scientists, technicians and chemists in labs in Munich and Vapi in Gujarat.” The corollary to this theme is that the same quality and characteristic MGA inks will be supplied to all Huber carton printers globally.
Made to stringent food packaging specifications, the compelling reason for the introducing these inks is due to the low molecular weight of most ordinary inks and the poor barrier properties of most paper and paperboard used for cartons where ink can easily migrate and come in direct contact with food products. This direct contact affects the taste, odor and safety of the food. The new MGA inks are completely free of mineral oils and fatty acids. Stringent specifications and standards such as the “EuPIA Guideline on Printing Inks Applied to the Non-food Contact Surface of Food Packaging Materials and Articles” are followed right from the procurement of ingredients to the filling and sealing of the ink containers.
Several leading packaging converters acknowledged the need for Huber’s MGA inks for food carton printing. Also present at the launch were representatives of brand owners such as Marico, Kellogg’s and Mondelēz. Apart from the strong technical representation of Huber Germany and India research and development teams, the current chief executive officer, Ursula Borgmann, also addressed the industry event.
Former chief executive officer Heiner Ringer presented what was perhaps the highlight of the event —a combination of Bavarian and Indian music with the Germans playing large and small brass wind instruments along with accordion and guitar and some yodelling, while the lone Indian classical musician played the flute. The musical fusion was gracefully accompanied by a Bharat Natyam dance that attempted to create a synthesis—an animated and dramatic attempt at cultural integration.
