Folding Carton Stock in the Food Industry: Safety and Compliance Considerations
Packaging gets overlooked until it fails. And in the food industry, a failure isn’t just a crushed corner on a box. It’s a contamination risk, a potential product recall, and a permanent loss of consumer trust. These issues don’t just cost money; they can destroy a brand’s reputation overnight.
Folding carton stock that is not fit for purpose is a direct cause of these problems. Without properly engineered barriers, moisture, grease, and oxygen will compromise food quality and safety. Worse, chemical migration from non-compliant materials can contaminate the food itself, creating a significant health hazard. For any company handling food and beverages, selecting the right carton stock is a non-negotiable part of product safety.
The Material Science of Food Safety
The primary concern is the interaction between the package and the product. Every component—from the paperboard substrate to the inks, coatings, and adhesives—must be proven safe for its intended use. This is where a deep understanding of material science becomes critical.
The foundation is often a pure substrate like Solid Bleached Sulfate (SBS) paperboard. But the real work is done by the barrier coatings. Holland’s specialty coated and laminated products are engineered with specific formulations to create functional barriers that preserve freshness and extend shelf life while preventing chemical transfer.
Navigating the Regulatory Landscape
Food packaging is a heavily regulated environment for a good reason. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets strict rules for what is permissible. Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations outlines the substances cleared for use as components in paper and paperboard that come into contact with aqueous and fatty foods.
Adherence is not optional. It is a fundamental requirement for market access and consumer protection. Working with a converter who understands these regulations is essential to ensure that every material used in the packaging is fully compliant.
Durability and Integrity Matter
Beyond chemical safety, the carton must be structurally sound. It has to withstand the rigors of automated packing lines, shipping, and handling without failing. A weak carton compromises the protective barriers and exposes the food to external contaminants.
For many products, tamper-evident features are also a key part of the design, providing another layer of security and reassuring consumers that the product has arrived safely.
The Reinforcement Advantage
Choosing the right folding carton stock is not merely a packaging decision—it is a critical food safety protocol. The small investment in specifying and sourcing a certified, compliant, high-performance material eliminates the enormous downstream risk of recalls, legal trouble, and damage to consumer confidence. It is a seemingly minor detail that solves some of the biggest problems a food company can face.
Order Your Food-Safe Packaging Materials
Holland Manufacturing develops custom-engineered coating and laminating solutions for paperboard designed to meet specific barrier properties and food safety requirements. To ensure your packaging materials are fully compliant and effective, contact us at 1-800-345-0492 or request a quote online.