US-based Chromatic Technologies (CTI) has developed new high-pressure indicator technology that can be delivered in ink to ensure safety in the food packaging sector.

CTI currently offers water-based and ultraviolet (UV) cured inks, and plans to launch solvent-based inks in future.

The new patent-pending solution incorporates anti-counterfeiting features, which enable inspection of high-pressure pasteurisation (HPP) on food products. 

Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), HPP treatment is used within the food and beverage sectors to destroy bacteria and extend the shelf-life of packed food.

Chromatic Technologies chief marketing officer Patrick Edson said: “If you’re the vice-president of food safety at a large restaurant or grocery franchise with a national supply chain, you are managing a significant risk profile of millions of units of food packaging being delivered to your business under the assumption it has been processed through HPP.

"It also provides regulatory agencies with the ability to confirm that the foods have undergone HPP."

“Customers tell us, ‘We only need one package to bypass the HPP machine and show up at a restaurant, and we have a huge problem. A quick visual inspection at our restaurants to see that the food has been subjected to high pressure mitigates substantial risk.

“It also provides regulatory agencies with the ability to confirm that the foods have undergone HPP.”

CTI’s new HPP technology enables ink to be examined on most of the packages currently available in the market.

When printed, the ink becomes clear and then increases colour as it’s exposed to high isostatic pressures found in the HPP process. 


Image: The easily visible checkmark of CTI’s HPP technology ensures product safety in the supply chain to restaurants, grocery and drug stores as well as the consumer’s home. Photo: courtesy of MERIT Media Relations / Chromatic Technologies.