Clipping Board » Illness Enters through Mouth ─ The information that has been made public is often just the tip of the iceberg...
May 31, 2011, Reporter Huang Qiaowen / Taipei Report
The plasticizer storm continues to escalate, showing people what it means for "toxins to enter through the mouth." However, a printing industry insider has now revealed that not only plastic products but also commonly seen paper containers like lunch boxes and beverage cups "99.9% use industrial ink harmful to human health." Additionally, "food-grade" ink costs 2,000 NTD per kilogram—over six times more expensive than "industrial-grade" ink. Many major manufacturers immediately abandon safeguarding public safety upon hearing the price.
**Major Brands Refuse to Absorb the Cost of "Food-Grade" Ink**
An anonymous industry veteran, Mr. Y, told our reporter that ink is priced per kilogram. Industrial ink costs about 250–300 NTD per kilogram, while food-grade ink costs 2,000 NTD per kilogram. The cost of ink in a container accounts for less than 1/6 of the total. For example, if a container costs 2 NTD, industrial ink accounts for 0.3 NTD of that cost. If replaced with food-grade ink, the ink cost would rise to 2.4 NTD.
"Would consumers really refuse to pay an extra 2 to 5 NTD for a safe drink?" Mr. Y lamented. For three years, he has been promoting the environmental and safety benefits of food-grade ink to both small and large manufacturers. However, "large companies strictly control their financial reports and only look at the price, so they naturally reject it outright." Mr. Y expressed confusion, noting that the cost should be absorbable for major manufacturers and would not significantly impact their budgets.
**Ordering Materials from Abroad, Then Exporting the Finished Products**
In fact, Mr. Y’s revelations are not unfounded. A printing industry professional using the pseudonym "New Blue Ocean" wrote to the media in 2003, stating that over 90% of paper cup, bowl, and lunch box manufacturers in Taiwan use standard ink (containing VOC volatile organic compounds) rather than food-grade ink. The number of global producers of food-grade ink is also limited, as evidenced by Taiwan’s import records. He also noted that this issue is not limited to small manufacturers—well-known major brands are equally guilty.
"New Blue Ocean" further explained on his blog that paper cups and lunch boxes are typically stacked with the outer surface of one touching the inner surface of another, increasing the risk of ink residue. When these containers are heated with food, the ink can easily volatilize into the food. This is especially concerning for oily foods like fried chicken bags, where the grease can seep through the paper, potentially carrying ink residue onto the food.
Eight years later, the rampant use of industrial ink shows no signs of improvement. Ironically, Taiwan must import food-grade ink from abroad, and the more environmentally friendly paper containers produced are then exported. Mr. Y noted, "Foreign regulations are stricter—they have no choice but to use expensive containers, and international clients often require EU-certified ink." He pointed out that the EU has the strictest controls on food-grade ink, while the U.S. FDA has multiple tiers of standards.
"Taiwan’s testing allows for 'decimal points,' unlike the EU, which mandates zero contamination," Mr. Y stated bluntly. Passing the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection’s food safety ink test is not difficult. However, 99.9% of food containers like lunch boxes, beverage cups, and paper cups in daily use still rely on industrial ink—though not all are toxic. Mr. Y singled out Starbucks as likely safe, "because they source their materials uniformly from abroad." As for scallion pancake bags and fried chicken bags, some may use water-based ink, but contamination is hard to avoid.
**Unavoidable, but Identifiable**
"While it’s unavoidable, there are ways to identify it," he explained. If industrial ink is used, pouring hot water or exposing the container to high temperatures will immediately release the smell of ink.However, if it's water-based ink, it's not easy to judge by smell, and laboratory testing is necessary to determine. Mr. Y emphasized that the main component of food-grade ink is linseed oil, and not all soybean oil-based inks are necessarily food-grade—it's best if they are certified by the EU.
It is known that the harm of industrial ink to the human body primarily comes from heavy metals (such as lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury), organic solvents, environmental hormones, and more. Therefore, it should never be used for printing food packaging or containers. Mr. Y urged governments that have not yet prioritized this issue to immediately regulate food safety, establish relevant laws, and prevent harmful substances like plasticizers and industrial inks from endangering public health.
Source: http://www. nownews. com/ 2011/ 05/ 31/ 91- 2716690. htm#ixzz1O8gMgPfK
99.9% of Paper Cups and Food Containers are Toxic! Industry Insider Reveals: Most Use Industrial Ink
The plasticizer storm continues to escalate, showing people what it means for "toxins to enter through the mouth." However, a printing industry insider has now revealed that not only plastic products but also commonly seen paper containers like lunch boxes and beverage cups "99.9% use industrial ink harmful to human health." Additionally, "food-grade" ink costs 2,000 NTD per kilogram—over six times more expensive than "industrial-grade" ink. Many major manufacturers immediately abandon safeguarding public safety upon hearing the price.
**Major Brands Refuse to Absorb the Cost of "Food-Grade" Ink**
An anonymous industry veteran, Mr. Y, told our reporter that ink is priced per kilogram. Industrial ink costs about 250–300 NTD per kilogram, while food-grade ink costs 2,000 NTD per kilogram. The cost of ink in a container accounts for less than 1/6 of the total. For example, if a container costs 2 NTD, industrial ink accounts for 0.3 NTD of that cost. If replaced with food-grade ink, the ink cost would rise to 2.4 NTD.
"Would consumers really refuse to pay an extra 2 to 5 NTD for a safe drink?" Mr. Y lamented. For three years, he has been promoting the environmental and safety benefits of food-grade ink to both small and large manufacturers. However, "large companies strictly control their financial reports and only look at the price, so they naturally reject it outright." Mr. Y expressed confusion, noting that the cost should be absorbable for major manufacturers and would not significantly impact their budgets.
**Ordering Materials from Abroad, Then Exporting the Finished Products**
In fact, Mr. Y’s revelations are not unfounded. A printing industry professional using the pseudonym "New Blue Ocean" wrote to the media in 2003, stating that over 90% of paper cup, bowl, and lunch box manufacturers in Taiwan use standard ink (containing VOC volatile organic compounds) rather than food-grade ink. The number of global producers of food-grade ink is also limited, as evidenced by Taiwan’s import records. He also noted that this issue is not limited to small manufacturers—well-known major brands are equally guilty.
"New Blue Ocean" further explained on his blog that paper cups and lunch boxes are typically stacked with the outer surface of one touching the inner surface of another, increasing the risk of ink residue. When these containers are heated with food, the ink can easily volatilize into the food. This is especially concerning for oily foods like fried chicken bags, where the grease can seep through the paper, potentially carrying ink residue onto the food.
Eight years later, the rampant use of industrial ink shows no signs of improvement. Ironically, Taiwan must import food-grade ink from abroad, and the more environmentally friendly paper containers produced are then exported. Mr. Y noted, "Foreign regulations are stricter—they have no choice but to use expensive containers, and international clients often require EU-certified ink." He pointed out that the EU has the strictest controls on food-grade ink, while the U.S. FDA has multiple tiers of standards.
"Taiwan’s testing allows for 'decimal points,' unlike the EU, which mandates zero contamination," Mr. Y stated bluntly. Passing the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection’s food safety ink test is not difficult. However, 99.9% of food containers like lunch boxes, beverage cups, and paper cups in daily use still rely on industrial ink—though not all are toxic. Mr. Y singled out Starbucks as likely safe, "because they source their materials uniformly from abroad." As for scallion pancake bags and fried chicken bags, some may use water-based ink, but contamination is hard to avoid.
**Unavoidable, but Identifiable**
"While it’s unavoidable, there are ways to identify it," he explained. If industrial ink is used, pouring hot water or exposing the container to high temperatures will immediately release the smell of ink.However, if it's water-based ink, it's not easy to judge by smell, and laboratory testing is necessary to determine. Mr. Y emphasized that the main component of food-grade ink is linseed oil, and not all soybean oil-based inks are necessarily food-grade—it's best if they are certified by the EU.
It is known that the harm of industrial ink to the human body primarily comes from heavy metals (such as lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury), organic solvents, environmental hormones, and more. Therefore, it should never be used for printing food packaging or containers. Mr. Y urged governments that have not yet prioritized this issue to immediately regulate food safety, establish relevant laws, and prevent harmful substances like plasticizers and industrial inks from endangering public health.
Source: http://www. nownews. com/ 2011/ 05/ 31/ 91- 2716690. htm#ixzz1O8gMgPfK