Labeling Food Contact containers

We need to fill plastic containers with oleoresins daily, and these buckets need to be cleaned daily.  Any idea on how we can label them and still able to clean wash them?

Hi Elvap

the simple solution is to stick the label on the container and then cover the label with adhesive tape of good quality. That way you can still wash them as label would be fully covered with plastic it would not can affected

Kind regards

Dr Humaid Khan

Managing Director

Halal International Services

Beverly hills Australia

A fat sharpie marker will withstand quite a few washings. the surface just needs to be clean and dry when you write on it. We have used them to mark our inedible containers that get cleaned and sanitized daily and only have to remark them about once every 3 months

A fat sharpie marker will withstand quite a few washings. the surface just needs to be clean and dry when you write on it. We have used them to mark our inedible containers that get cleaned and sanitized daily and only have to remark them about once every 3 months

Hi scampi,

Interesting option.

I deduce the OPs product is a food coloring/food flavoring chemical.

If so i assume, in US, the marker pen ink needs to be in R1 category of nonfood compounds (lovely term) in case of possible direct food contact. eg -

http://itwprofession...-nsf-registered

https://info.nsf.org...categories.html

However the precise allowed scope of R1 items seems rather ambiguous, only official statement i could find stated approved for meat/poultry applications (there is apparently a USDA connection). But acceptable/non-acceptable usage for other/all products is not clear (to me). eg

food contact surface marker.pdf   54.81KB   54 downloads

The actual formulation looks to be a trade secret.

Is this similar situation to  Canada ?

Charles, I would take the "risk" of permanent marker over foreign material risk (taped on label) everyday of the week

The risk analysis of both would have pieces of clear tape weighted much higher than the risk of ink 

The likely hood of the outside of the bucket coming into contact with the mixture would be negligible (you'd have to drop the beaker) v.s. clear plastic tape on a clear beaker which WILL come loose after 1 wash and WILL breakdown into small pieces (hence ZERO tape in my facility)

We do have products in Canada that are approved for incidental food contact, but that category pertains to areas where the risk is higher (maintenance lubricants on machinery, adhesive on labels etc)

IMHO there is almost ZERO risk to using a marker in this application especially when compared to tape of any kind

An SOP on what to do should the pail fall into the mixture should suffice as a worst case back up plan

All trademarked products for general consumption are not required to list their ingredients (trademarked) so yes, it will be a trade secret Lol, all of the grocery and pharmacy products (body wash, soap) follow the same rule for formulations

Thank you Charles C,  I will look into the markers, these also fall acceptable under FDA?  Were a facility that makes spice blends which we add oleoresins to.

You will need to perform a risk analysis on the marker. FDA will not tell you what you can and cannot put on the outside of a container as there is not any direct food contact. So if you run a risk analysis on the marker you should be fine

Alternatively there are markers like this if you are really concerned

http://www.durablesu.../dysansfma.html

Remember, you are marking the outside of a container, not adding anything to the actual food contact surface

A fat sharpie marker will withstand quite a few washings. the surface just needs to be clean and dry when you write on it. We have used them to mark our inedible containers that get cleaned and sanitized daily and only have to remark them about once every 3 months

I agree with this. Sharpie makes a 'professional' grade marker, that withstands lots of wear.

Hi scampi,

I am a little confused over the exact process being discussed. IMEX  buckets and pails are vaguely similar objects of largish size, maybe 10L up, not remotely like the picture ?.

I guess i both agree and disagree yr Post . :smile:

I agree regarding taped labels. Vanishing act. Laminated ones like some name cards had more success when attached as tags. But not popular with cleaning section.

I also tried "non-toxic" marker pens (not the ones referred in my post) direct as a trial. Another few days vanishing act, it maybe depends on the specific products. OK for few days.

Out of curiosity I also planted some "ringer" clearly marked containers prior to an audit. Evoked nil auditor comment so maybe the problem is only too well known!

I normally refuse to use any chemicals for process/cleaning/sanitizing purposes, even if regulatory approved, unless i know the approx.  qualitative composition.  No tell, No sell. (It's my back).

Yes, the photo looks similar to a commercial ice cream pail

I think perhaps we've got off track. Everything I use for processing aids and sanitation chemicals MUST have a letter of guarantee from Health Canada in order to be used at this facility, so totally agree no tell no sell (plus the correct chemicals SAVE money in the long run)

I object to getting overly sensitive out how the EXTERIOR of a food contact container is labelled; that is why I suggested a risk assessment. Sharpies are not meant for food contact BUT the risk in this scenario seems negligible to me and that is why I suggest simply using a marker for the container----it's better than the risk of adding the wrong ingredient because you have 2 pails identical and one is for an allergen!

Food safety first, naturally, after that, let good sense prevail

Yes, the photo looks similar to a commercial ice cream pail

 

I think perhaps we've got off track. Everything I use for processing aids and sanitation chemicals MUST have a letter of guarantee from Health Canada in order to be used at this facility, so totally agree no tell no sell (plus the correct chemicals SAVE money in the long run)

 

I object to getting overly sensitive out how the EXTERIOR of a food contact container is labelled; that is why I suggested a risk assessment. Sharpies are not meant for food contact BUT the risk in this scenario seems negligible to me and that is why I suggest simply using a marker for the container----it's better than the risk of adding the wrong ingredient because you have 2 pails identical and one is for an allergen!

 

Food safety first, naturally, after that, let good sense prevail

Hi scampi,

what's in a name ? :smile:

pail.png   407.49KB   1 downloads

In the Global QA/FS field, I suspect Canada is "somewhat" unique over the depth/scope/rigor of its Regulatory Safety requirements/Guarantees.

How much Canada is different to USA I'm unaware.

Maybe it also relates to the specific Industry.

Not saying that safety rigour is necessarily a bad thing, quite the opposite, but location/context of OP are  also (rightly or wrongly) relevant.

Sharpies are not meant for food contact

Apparently some are -

http://www.darlingdo...es-it-work.html

I guess it proves that risk assessments may be subjective. No problem.