Herma, represented in Australia by Result Group, is now offering an adhesive material for thermal printer labels that is fully approved for food contact, which the company believes is the first of its kind worldwide.
According to Herma thermal paper has previously frequently been the subject of debate in view of the problematic substances on which it relies to produce a printed image, which is why the new HERMAtherm nature (grade 900) is guaranteed by the company to be completely free from chemical developers.
The new label stock, which will be showcased on the Result Group stand (B205) at AUSPACK, was originated in partnership with Koehler Paper.
Herma says labels made from this material are simple to use in all conventional thermal printers, and the multi-layer adhesive 62Dps used by the company is migration-safe and likewise approved for direct contact with dry, moist and fatty foodstuffs.
Herma says that thanks to the multi-layer technology, even with its low-migration properties, 62Dps is characterised by "exceptional adhesive performance", including in cool environments.
“Based on our experience in coating and die-cutting operations, HERMAtherm nature (900) is just as easy to process as conventional thermal label stock,” said Dr Nicole Metzler, head of development at Herma.
“In addition, although it is a coloured material, which is inevitably reduces contrast, no barcode reading errors were recorded during a large-scale trial. Labels produced from the material completed the trial without prompting any faults whatsoever.”
Physical reaction only
The characteristic blue-grey thermal paper Blue4est Pro, created in-house by Koehler Paper, has already been used for environment-friendly retail till receipts for some time.
With Blue4est Pro, the imprint is not produced by a chemical reaction in response to the application of heat. Instead, an entirely physical reaction takes place, in which an opaque active coating on the paper becomes transparent under the influence of heat. This reaction reveals the black coating underneath.
According to Herma, compared to commonplace, conventional thermal papers, Blue4est Pro is especially kind to the environment and the imprint it produces also resists environmental influences, such as sunlight and moisture, "especially well."
“Sustainability goes well beyond the product itself, and every single element and component needs to be considered,” Michael Dossor, Result Group’s general manager, told PKN.
“In this case, Herma have taken a traditional self-adhesive material used in mass throughout the world, and made it a sustainable choice. Result is so proud to be representing the Herma brand in Australia and New Zealand.”
Koehler Paper added that the printed image has the ability to remain legible for 35 years.
