Corrugated in Food Contact: Safety, Migration, and the Right Board

Corrugated used in food contact must meet migration and safety rules — FDA 21 CFR 176.170 in the US and EU 1935/2004 — covering inks, adhesives, and recycled fiber. Direct-contact applications need compliant board and printing.

The Scenario: The ink that needed changing

A bakery's cake box used an off-the-shelf ink that failed the migration test for direct food contact. Switching to food-safe inks and a compliant board brought the box into compliance without a redesign.

Pain Points

• Standard inks and adhesives can migrate into food;
• Recycled board raises contamination questions for direct contact;
• Food brands assume all corrugated is food-safe by default.

The Solution: The food-contact rules

Food-safe corrugated follows clear requirements:

1. Compliant board FDA 21 CFR 176.170 and EU 1935/2004 set the material and additive limits for food contact.

2. Food-safe printing Low-migration inks and coatings are required where print touches or faces food.

3. Recycled fiber care Direct food contact may require virgin or specially processed fiber to control contaminants.

4. Migration testing Lab migration tests verify substances stay within limits.

The Result: Compliant from wrapper to carton

The bakery's corrected box passed migration testing and shipped with documentation. Food-contact corrugated is a spec discipline, not an assumption.