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Safety and Sustainability in Packaging: The Importance of Virgin Paper vs. Recycled Paper
In the world of packaging, where sustainability and consumer safety are increasingly at the forefront, it is essential to consciously choose materials that protect both the planet and consumer health. Recently, much attention has been paid to the use of mineral oils in packaging, especially when recycling paper and cardboard products for the food industry. Although legislation in this area is not yet fully developed, at Greenflex we not only want to offer safe and sustainable solutions, but also proactively anticipate future regulations. We aim to already be one step ahead of the legislation and thus help both companies and consumers avoid toxic substances. At Greenflex, we are building a future where packaging is not only environmentally friendly, but also completely safe for the end consumer.
The Problem of Mineral Oils in Paper and Cardboard Packaging
Mineral oils, also known as MOSH/MOAHs, are mainly found in recycled paperboard and not in virgin paperboard. These substances may come from the industrial production of recycled paper and pose a risk when they come into contact with food through packaging. This is causing growing concern about the potential health risks.
At Greenflex, we only work with virgin or virgin cardboard, as this guarantees a consistent composition. We carry out migration tests on this composition, the results of which we declare to our customers. Thanks to this approach, we can be sure that each batch is safe and meets the required limits.
However, when recycling cardboard, the composition is constantly changing. To provide certainty, migration tests would have to be performed again for each recycled batch, which is complex and expensive (in practice, this is not done). Our choice of new board underlines our commitment to safe, sustainable and reliable packaging solutions.
Many consumers are now aware of the risks of toxic substances in their packaging, and there is a strong call for action to remove these substances from the food chain. Recent petitions, such as that of WeMove.EU, underline the importance of limiting toxic substances in food packaging, even if legislation lags behind.
Is Recycled Paper Food Safe?
No, fundamentally, recycled paper is not food-grade. Old paper contains dirt in the form of inks, staples, paper clips, glue residue, window film, plastics, food residue, sand, dust, etc. Because the paper mill is only interested in cellulose fibres (which can be used to make paper again), it only removes all substances that are not cellulose fibres. This purification process works quite well, but not 100%. Ink residues in particular are very difficult to separate from the fibres. Inks are chemical raw materials containing heavy metals and harmful chemicals. You can imagine that if the paper industry cannot guarantee 100% phase-out of these substances, this recycled paper should not come into contact with food. All paper and cardboard packaging that comes into direct contact with food must either be made of 100% new clean cellulose fibres, or there must be a protective layer between the food and the paper or cardboard. Consider a plastic or aluminium layer (although this does not provide safety when heated in oven/microwave).
https://paperwise.eu/gerecycled-papier/
WeMove Europe Calls for a Ban on
Mineral Oils (MOSH/MOAHs) in Food Products
When using recycled paperboard, there is a risk that harmful substances, such as mineral oils (MOAH), may enter food packaging during the paper recycling process. These substances, from printing inks or recycled fibres, can contaminate food and pose potential health risks. This issue is gaining attention, thanks in part to initiatives such as the petition by WeMove Europe, a citizens’ platform working on social and environmental issues in Europe. Their campaign calls for a ban on toxic mineral oils in food packaging to protect consumers and hold producers accountable. This discussion highlights the importance of careful trade-offs between recycled and virgin cardboard in food packaging.
Recycled or Virgin Cardboard: What is the difference?
When choosing materials for food packaging, both recycled paper and virgin paper play an important role. The difference between the two affects both the ecological impact and the potential presence of harmful substances in the packaging.
Recycled Cardboard
Recycled board appears environmentally friendly and sustainable, but it comes with significant drawbacks. It may contain harmful substances such as mineral oils (MOSH/MOAH) from printing inks or chemical treatments of the original paper. Because the composition of recycled paper and board is constantly changing, regular migration tests are needed to ensure safety. This makes the process more complex and expensive. Although filters remove some contaminants, they do not provide a complete guarantee, which makes cardboard subject to recycling less suitable for applications with high food safety requirements.
However, recycled board can also contain residues of harmful substances, especially if it contains recycled paper that has previously come into contact with toxic chemicals such as mineral oil. The quality of recycled paper depends heavily on the source of the old paper and how good the recycling process is. Nevertheless, there are methods to process recycled paper and board without harmful substances entering the new food packaging, through strict quality control and filtering of contaminants.
New Cardboard
Pre consumer paper and board offers significant advantages, especially in terms of consistency, safety and durability. Because it is made from fresh, unprocessed pulp, it is free of contaminants such as mineral oils that are often found in recycled paper. This makes new cardboard ideal for applications where food safety and quality are crucial. Moreover, the use of new cardboard guarantees a stable composition, making extensive batch-by-batch testing unnecessary and ensuring reliability.
Moreover, when virgin paper is FSC or PEFC certified, it is guaranteed to come from sustainably managed forests. For every tree felled, a new one is therefore planted. This ensures that the impact on the environment is minimised and reinforces the sustainable claim of this material.
Yet using paper made from trees also brings some environmental challenges, such as deforestation and increased CO2 emissions. And while new paper made from trees may initially seem safer in terms of toxic substances, depending on the production conditions, it may still contain substances that are harmful to health. Especially if the paper is treated with chemicals during the production process. Here, the importance of certificates and a verifiable production process plays a major role for suppliers who want to market reliable and high-quality food packaging.
Why Virgin Paper and Board is the Best Choice for your Food
We recommend standard virgin board to completely eliminate the risk of mineral oils (MOSH/MOAHs) on the food product. In specific cases, such as customers requiring a kraft look, we suggest recycled cardboard. However, we only do this for our standard PaperSeal trays (i.e. no Cook version). This is because heating increases the risk of mineral oils migrating through the liner.
Less Pollution and Consistent Quality
At Greenflex, we understand that virgin cardboard is a unique choice for companies striving for optimal safety and quality. New cardboard is manufactured from untreated wood fibres, which means it is naturally free of toxic substances such as mineral oil. This reduces the need for complex purification processes and ensures a consistently clean end product, ideal for high-demand applications such as food packaging.
Sustainability through Responsible Forestry
Virgin cardboard can be sustainable when it comes from responsibly managed forests, such as FSC- or PEFC-certified sources, which promote circularity. These certifications guarantee that wood fibres are extracted without harming ecosystems or communities, and contribute to reforestation. The use of virgin wood fibres thus supports a controlled cycle of natural resources with minimal environmental impact.
A Smooth and Efficient Production Process through Increased Solidity
New cellulose fibres are stronger than reused cellulose fibres, allowing FSC/PEFC-certified carton trays to be processed more smoothly on your machine with minimal chance of leakage and optimum shelf life of your food product. Less leakage/errors during the production process results in less production waste and consequently less food waste. Cardboard trays or cardboards made from waste paper often need a higher grammage to come close to the strength of virgin cardboard packaging, which often results in higher weight and thickness, which is sub-optimal in terms of transport and stock management.
Superior Functional and Aesthetic Properties
New paper and board offer higher strength, better moisture resistance and a smoother surface, which can be essential for specific packaging purposes. These properties not only ensure optimum performance, but also a premium appearance. Cardboards made from safe, virgin cardboard will curl less to not curl in the fridge over time because of the increased strength. This while the smooth surface ensures increased quality of the printed images on the manufactured paper products where colours come into their own.
Confidence and Image of High Quality Food Packaging
Companies that choose virgin board position themselves as brands that value uncompromising quality and customer safety. This boosts consumer confidence and builds a brand image that stands for reliability and excellence.
What Companies Can Do
While waste paper is a valuable option in the right context, virgin paper offers undeniable advantages for sectors where food safety, quality and aesthetics are key. At Greenflex, we help companies choose packaging that not only meets strict quality standards, but also matches their brand values and customer expectations.
With FSC/PEFC certified cardboard packaging, we support companies in the food industry that want to offer high-quality food products without the risk of harmful substances. Thanks to our commitment to sustainability and responsible forest management, food companies can confidently invest in safe, environmentally friendly packaging solutions.
Conclusie
Virgin papier is een uitstekende keuze voor bedrijven die geen concessies willen doen aan kwaliteit, veiligheid en prestaties. Dankzij de natuurlijke puurheid en robuuste eigenschappen is het de ideale optie voor sectoren waar klantvertrouwen en premium uitstraling centraal staan. Door te kiezen voor virgin papier, werk je aan een groene toekomst waarin een superioriteit en duurzaamheid hand in hand gaan. Vind onze kartonverpakkingen op onze website of vraag gratis samples aan en ervaar zelf de stevigheid en kwaliteit van onze virgin kartonverpakkingen voor uw voedingsproducten.
