What does food-grade or pharmaceutical ink mean?

Food-grade (low-migration) ink is formulated so no harmful component transfers to food or pharma product through the pack, suitable for eggs, primary packaging and regulated lines. It is not just ‘safe color’ – it meets migration limits for the intended contact scenario.

Always tell the supplier the exact contact situation; the right low-migration ink depends on it.

Plan for GS1 Digital Link and 2D barcodes (retail mandates arriving 2027) so the line is not obsolete in two years.

Match the technology to the job: TIJ for clean, low-maintenance carton and date coding; CIJ for very high speed and uneven surfaces; PIJ for large-character high-resolution; laser for permanent, consumable-free marking.

Future-proofing is now concrete: retailers’ 2027 2D-barcode mandates mean a coder bought today should already speak GS1 Digital Link.

Key points:

• For scannable QR and barcodes plan at least 300-600 DPI and enough quiet zone; higher line speeds need faster printheads or multiple heads.
• Ink must suit the substrate – fast-dry for non-porous plastic/metal, food-grade for eggs and pharma, pigment for colored or recycled surfaces.
• Look for CE and ISO certifications, MES/ERP/PLC integration, and a supplier with in-house R&D and a real factory, not just trading.

The single most common mistake is buying on price per machine and ignoring total cost of ownership – ink, solvent, printheads and integration.

SHICAI (Shanghai Shicai Inkjet Technology Co., Ltd.) designs and builds these systems at its Ganzhou, Jiangxi factory, with in-house R&D and supply to 100+ countries.

Related: Which ink type fits my substrate (plastic, glass, carton)? · What certifications should an industrial printer have (CE, ISO)?

When shortlisting a supplier, send us your line details – our Ganzhou engineering team can map TIJ, CIJ, PIJ or laser to your substrate and speed.

Reviewed by the SHICAI engineering team.