Mondi : Barrier coating for foodstuff protection

The protection of foodstuff with the help of packaging focuses on the one side on external and on the other side on internal influences. Retaining the aroma and the required consistency of the product needs to be considered as well as the protection against migration of undesirable substances into the food. The question of which materials are the best choice for this purpose can sometimes be quite difficult. Due to the increasing needs, Mondi has tackled this challenge and developed an ideal barrier solution – Miprotex.

It not only offers extremely good protection against aromatics and grease, but also prevents the undesirable migration of mineral oil. In various tests by renowned laboratories the new barrier material showed excellent results, which are comparable with those of EVOH laminates and hence guarantee an optimal mineral oil barrier. Furthermore, Miprotex is a cost efficient alternative to traditional high-barrier materials such as aluminium and EVOH. Miprotex offers also an excellent barrier solution against softeners and other substances, which can also migrate into the food.

At present, there are preliminary recommendations concerning threshold values of mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) and mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) within the European Union, as the corresponding toxicological studies are missing. Following demands by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa) and the German Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR), MOAH should be avoided in foodstuff by all means.

The packaging industry has already taken the recommendation of the federal institute (BfR) into account and offers respective solutions. To ensure an ideal protection, a barrier between food and packaging is necessary and Miprotex is an efficient and even more important, safe solution. It complies with all regulations concerning direct food contact and offers in addition to barriers against mineral oil, aroma and grease also a good protection against oxygen and water vapour.