Blue plastics for food contact

Lightweight and versatile technical plastics have been successfully used in the processing and packaging of foods for many years. Engineering plastic components that come into direct contact with food have stringent quality requirements on the materials used, particularly when it comes to verifying that no physiological harm will result from contact.

For plastic materials, the main goal is to control and limit possible migration of substances from the material into the food to avoid any harmful influence. This is why Ensinger gives such high priority to the production of semi finished products specially developed for the food industry.

In addition to the wide range of product compliance requirements for food contact parts, blue detectable plastics further enhance the safety of food production processes, and are in full compliance with international regulations.

Why blue plastic for food applications?

These days, blue plastics are widely used in the food industry due to their high visibility and rapid in line identification, in the event of foreign material accidentally falling into the food product. In addition, the cleanliness of components is easier to determine, because spores, mould, food and detergent residues are more clearly visible than they would be with other coloured materials.

Furthermore, in food processing lines equipped with detection equipment, users can identify possible fragments of plastic in food, by using our metal detectable materials in Ensinger's "ID" family of materials. This offers an even higher level of prevention against possible contamination of the food product. For users that wish to identify potential contamination using either metal, X-ray, or vision detection systems, Ensinger offers our Ultra Detectable or "UD" family of products.

Blue Food-grade plastics

TECAFORM AH blue

TECAFORM AH blue is a POM-C acetal copolymer that is colored brilliant blue in order to optimize the material's effectiveness in food plants that use optical detection equipment to identify unwanted particulates in the food product.

TECAFORM AH blue - blue acetal food grade material that is versatile and durable
TECAMID 6 ID blue - extruded blue nylon with good toughness and high abrasion resistance
TECAPEEK ID blue - based on Victrex PEEK polymer, is the highest performing and most versatile material for high temperature applications in aggressive chemical environments, or those which require high mechanical loads

Furthermore, Ensinger offers a special line of metal detectable materials: the "ID" family of materials and "Ultra Detectable" or "UD" family.

In addition to the blue colour, these kind of materials offer an even higher level of protection.

BENEFITS OF BLUE MATERIALS FOR FOOD TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS

Needleblock

made of TECAFORM AH blue

Needleblock for meat processing

Not only the components which come into direct contact with food should be made of materials which comply with food contact regulations. This block is a component of a fully automated system developed to enhance flavour and shelf life by saline injection using needles, so safety is an important requirement.

Bakery machine equipment

made of TECAFORM AH blue

Bakery machine equipment branded and safe

The Danish company Form & Frys manufactures standard machines as well as custom-built machines designed for the bakery industry. For their machines, the company choose TECAFORM AH blue, which could stand out colour-wise, both to brand the company, but also to ensure quick detection of any plastic in the food during the production process.