Key points of the article
- Hot melt adhesives are essential for food labeling due to their strong adhesion, speed, and resistance in humid and cold environments.
- At Centrale del Latte di Brescia, the use of a specific hot melt has improved label centering, adhesion, and continuity.
- The adhesive used, BAMFutura 803, ensures cleanliness, reduces stringing, and is compatible with PET and shrinkable surfaces.
- The advantages include less maintenance, high thermal stability, product savings, and compliance with hygiene standards.
- Proper operational use ensures operator safety and visual quality of packaging, crucial elements for the food sector.
In modern food production, hot melt adhesives play a crucial role, especially in packaging and food labeling.
Hot melt adhesives for food labeling offer quick application, strong adhesion on various materials, thermal stability, operational cleanliness, and compliance with hygienic-food standards.
In the dairy sector, where food safety is essential and processing conditions may include refrigeration, humidity, temperature variations, these adhesives ensure that food product labels remain secure, legible and free from contamination.
In the case of Centrale del Latte di Brescia, the adoption of a specific hot melt adhesive for food labeling has addressed concrete operational challenges: reduced machine downtime, improved label centering, less residue, and consistency in processes, maintaining high safety standards.
Applications of Hot Melts in Food Labeling
In the project at Centrale del Latte di Brescia, the hot melt adhesive was used for food labeling on bottles intended for fresh milk distribution. The main applications are:
- Labeling on bottles, including those with PET surfaces, subject to expansion and with shrinkable labels.
- Application on automatic lines at high-speed, where precision and speed are essential.
- Need to reduce “stringing” (unwanted filaments), to maintain cleanliness on machines, final aesthetics, and less maintenance.
- Well-centered labels, well adhered, clean, that withstand even if the bottle is cold or wet.
The hot melt adhesive BAMFutura 803 by H.B Fuller was chosen, specifically designed for labeling applications in the food sector, and selected for its reliability in complex operating conditions.
Advantages of Hot Melts for Food Labeling Used
The tangible benefits of using hot melt adhesives for food labeling have manifested in various areas of the production process, thanks also to the specific characteristics of the BAMFutura product range:
- Strong adhesion and compatibility with various substrates: formulated for effective bonding on rigid cardboard, plastic materials, wet or cold surfaces.
- Low stringing, oxidation, and carbonization: keeping the lines clean and minimizing maintenance interventions.
- High thermal stability: consistent viscosity and performance even at variable temperatures, ideal for high-speed lines typical of food product labeling.
- Food compliance and safety: free of mineral oils, with appropriate certifications for indirect food contact.
- Reduced consumption and maintenance: improving efficiency, reliability, and quality of the final result.
Safety and Operational Management of Hot Melt Adhesive
In the context of food labeling, it is essential to properly manage the product’s behavior during use:
- Use at recommended temperatures to avoid degradation.
- Ventilation of the melting area to avoid unpleasant emissions.
- Operator protection and continuous control of labeling quality.
- Verification of adhesion and centering, essential for the visual presentation of products to the end consumer.
Efficiency and Control in Food Labeling
In the case of Centrale del Latte di Brescia:
- The introduction of a dedicated hot melt adhesive for food product labeling has allowed for improved adhesion, centering, and aesthetic performance of the packaging.
- The products used have shown high compatibility with plastic materials, high thermal stability, and excellent performance on automatic lines.
- The result was a food labeling process cleaner, more efficient and fully compliant with hygiene and sanitary requirements.
To learn more about hot melt adhesives for food labeling and discover how to optimize your production processes, visit the Esperto Mascherpa section and contact the Mascherpa. Our specialists are available to analyze your line, the materials used, and production goals, and to recommend the most suitable product for your application.
