Kraiburg introduces TPE solution for food safety compliance

WALDKRAIBURG, Germany—Consumers are increasingly weighing the health and safety benefits of their purchasing decisions. And because of this, manufacturers must ensure compliance with national and international food safety regulations.

That's why German company Kraiburg TPE, a Kraiburg Holding GmbH & Co. KG subsidiary, is extending its range of food contact thermoplastic elastomers with its new Thermolast K series

"Today's buyers are increasingly taking responsibility for their own well-being by making informed decisions about the safety and health advantages of the goods and materials they buy," Kraiburg said in a Nov. 23 statement.

"This change does not happen by chance. Toxic chemicals leaching from compounds or materials are major concerns in the manufacturing and consumer goods industry. That is why food contact safe materials such as thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are gaining popularity," the company said.

Thermolast K joins Kraiburg's Food Contact TPE portfolio as a material solution for everyday consumer applications, the company said.

These "everyday applications" require stringent conformity with "a wide range of standards," including from the European Union, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the GB standards from the Standardization Administration of China and the DIN Standards from the German Institute for Standardization.

The product features adhesion to PP, optimized flow and a hardness range of 30-90 Shore A, according to Kraigburg, and the materials can be easily processed through injection molding, extrusion and 3D printing.

The compounds in the Food Contact TPE series are also free of animal ingredients, heavy metals, phthalates, bisphenol A and latex, Kraiburg added.

"Ensuring consumer safety is crucial for today's manufacturers of consumer products," said Lee Jia Yin, product developer at Kraiburg TPE, adding that the new series complies with REACH, SVHC and RoHS regulations and is "ideal for applications such as household goods, packaging for food and consumer care products, razors, toothbrushes, toys and other products."

Kraiburg TPE is a global TPE manufacturer of thermoplastic elastomer products and custom-engineered TPE solutions for diverse consumer product applications. The company has production sites in Germany, the U.S. and Malaysia and offers compounds for applications in the automotive, industrial, consumer and medical sectors.