Evaluate Printing Colorants and Components that Impact Safety & Quality of Recycled Resins for Food Contact Applications
This IAFNS grant funds research on how printing inks and colorants in food packaging impact the safety and quality of recycled resins intended for food contact applications.
Funder: Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences
Due Dates: August 31, 2026 (Proposal submission)
Funding Amounts: Typical award: $50,000–$75,000 | Project duration: 12 months | Indirect costs capped at 10%
Summary: Evaluates how printing inks and colorants affect the safety and quality of recycled food packaging resins to inform safer, sustainable packaging design.
Description
This grant, offered by the IAFNS Food Packaging Safety and Sustainability Committee, supports research to assess how printing inks and colorants in food packaging influence the safety and quality of recycled resins intended for food contact applications. The funded project will develop a framework linking ink class and component fate during recycling to the safety of post-consumer resins. Key objectives include identifying colorants and pigments that degrade into hazardous substances during recycling, evaluating removal methods for these contaminants, and pinpointing inks compatible with sustainable recycling. The project covers water-based, solvent-based, and UV/EB-cured ink platforms, focusing on persistent, degrading, or contaminant-contributing components, with the goal of enhancing both packaging safety and the viability of recycled materials for food contact.
