Henkel’s food-safe packaging initiative

There is an increasing demand for safe, secure, and sustainable packaging driven by heightened awareness of food safety and health. Rising legislation is influencing the design and development of food-safe packaging, and the materials used. Moreover, globalisation of food networks further emphasises the need for transparency and traceability along the food and packaging value chain.

We have often called adhesives "the forgotten layer" as they have been perceived as a relatively small piece in the total packaging compared to inks, boards, and foils that have been more in the public eye for meeting safety standards in food packaging. While in Europe there is no specific legislation for adhesives in contact with food, there is legislation applicable to adhesives, which are part and parcel of ensuring food-safe packaging.

At Henkel, we are aware of the necessity of adhesive solutions for food-safe packaging, and have made this our guiding principle. With the launch of our Food-Safe Packaging Initiative, we continue to advance our focus on this ever-important topic.

With the Food-Safe Packaging Initiative, we take a closer look at adhesive-related aspects of food packaging and invite collaborators along the food packaging value chain to an open dialogue, striving to constantly improve the safety and sustainability of packaging for the industry.

Our ambition is to be ahead of regulatory developments, markets, and media. We aim to provide a new level of food-safe packaging adhesives – committed to protecting brands and consumers, now and in the future.

For Henkel, our commitment to transparency includes broadening communication on food-safe packaging to address a wider range of stakeholders – from experts like packaging developers and food safety managers to generalists like plant managers, brand owners, retailers – and even consumers. It means sharing adhesive expertise right from the packaging development phase, through to running safe processes during packaging operations, to ultimately having the right documentation to prove safety to customers.

We provide a comprehensive package of food-safe adhesive solutions and services.