Food safety is a key driver in the food industry. While the label must remain adhered in order to convey the brand, product or price and date information, it must also be a safe solution; there shouldn’t be any risk of the label contaminating the foodstuff. UPM Raflatacoffers solutions that protect the reputations of the label supplier and the brand, by meeting all regulatory requirements for consumer safety.

Food labelling is by far the biggest end-use for self-adhesive labels in terms of volume. It encompasses a wide variety of packaging substrates, from glass to hard and soft plastics, tofibre-based materials like paper and cardboard, as well as metals. Labels are also applied directly onto the surface of the food itself. Label application and service conditions vary widely, from room temperature, to chilled, to deep freeze, and in the dry or when moisture is present.

ΚΟΛΛΕΣ / ADHESIVES

NON-REFRIGERATED TO CHILLED

RP51

This multipurpose, strong permanent adhesive is suited to a wide range of food retail and logistics applications. RP51 adheres well to packaging films, card and corrugated boards, and after labelling retains good adhesion even in chilled temperatures of 0 to 5  C.

RP37

This multipurpose adhesive is for film label faces on paper liners. RP37 provides good adhesion on glass and even plastics, and in food labelling applications where conditions are potentially moist and chilled. RP37 has good resistance to water and UV once labelled. An optimal balance of high adhesion and high cohesion provides clean and stable performance in high-speed conversion and label dispensing.

RF37

This general purpose adhesive for applications in temperatures above chilled conditions is designed for film label faces in combination with filmic liners. RF37 provides good adhesion on smooth plastic surfaces, and has high UV-stability and water resistance once labelled. High cohesion provides good performance in highspeed conversion and dispensing, complementing the productivity of filmic liners.

RH6

ΤRH6 covers a broad range of food labelling applications due to good performance from room temperature down to chilled conditions, on substrates including cardboard and stretch film. These properties make RH6 an especially reliable choice for food logistics labelling.

RH9X

RH9X is specially developed for chilled (0 to 8 C) food labelling on multilayer barrier films typically used for vacuum and modified atmosphere food packaging. It also offers good adhesion to a wide variety of cardboards. For label printers, RH9X provides good matrix-stripping properties due to a smooth release, for fast label conversion and high productivity. For label endusers, RH9X performs reliably with all standard label dispensing methods, with good tack assuring reliable performance in high-speed label application even in demanding chilled temperatures.

RH9X is formulated with an increased proportion of biobased raw material sourced from sustainably managed forests, for improved environmental performance.

RH1

For more demanding conditions requiring aggressive adhesion to cold and moist substrates, RH1 can be combined with both paper and film face materials and is suitable for application to plastic and cardboard packaging in temperatures as low as -5 C.

DEEP FREEZE

RP48

Designed primarily for paper label faces, RP48 provides good adhesion at low temperatures on a wide range of substrates.

RH3

RH3 offers especially good performance in frozen food applications where good adhesion is required on wet and frosty surfaces – as is the case when products are frozen prior to labelling. RH3 is available with paper and film label faces.

149DF

With clear film labels, the water-based acrylic 149DF provides an improved level of transparency compared to hotmelt solutions to enhance shelf-appeal for frozen foods. 149DF also enables fast label conversion with minimal residue-cleaning on die tools for high productivity. Good UV-ageing resistance helps retain adhesive performance and clarity in the long-term. 149DF is supplied with a full range of face materials, both papers and films.

In the competitive wine, spirit and craft beverage industries, it’s all about the brand and how it is portrayed on the bottle. Producers from global brands to small independent companies compete for space on crowded retail shelves, so eye-catching wine and spirits labels provide a powerful edge.

No matter how fine the label face, its design and print work, correct adhesive selection provides a vital technical foundation for accomplishing immaculate visual appeal. While glass is a relatively straightforward substrate for achieving good adhesion, factors such as bottle surface treatments create huge variation in surface energy, which must be 38 dynes/cm or above.

Bottle contours and especially the lifecycle conditions of the product also present a challenge. Bottles may be cold and moist during label application. Temperature and humidity will certainly fluctuate during transport and long durations in storage. Extended refrigeration and ice bucket conditions may also be considerations. The various risks include label slide resulting in poor alignment during label application, edge-lift, bubbling and creasing.

Wine, spirit, and craft beverage adhesives from UPM Raflatac perform to the most demanding technical requirements, so that brands perform to the highest expectations.

ADHESIVES

RP30

Compelling presentation for the lifecycle of the label

Maintaining compelling presentation throughout the lifecycle challenges of wines and spirits takes a dedicated adhesive like RP30. This adhesive provides all the required properties for labelling champagnes and sparkling wines, whites, reds, roses and all spirits and liqueurs.

High initial tack provides excellent adhesion on the dispensing line and prevents label slide, even on moist and cold surfaces.

Good accommodation of fluctuations in temperature and humidity keeps labels looking their best without bubbling or creasing, from the bottling line, to transport and storage, to serving. RP30 also retains good hold in ice bucket conditions and provides good resistance to edge-lifting for reliable presentation on bottle necks when combined with recommended face materials.

RP30W

Efficient wash-off for returnable bottles

In the wash-off process for returnable bottles, the RP30W adhesive separates from bottles and stays anchored to the label face. This leaves the wash water uncontaminated and yields residue-free bottles for optimal presentation when recirculated. In particular, RP30W retains good wash-off performance following a variety of storage conditions for used bottles – including storage outdoors. This is where many wash-off adhesives fail, and where RP30W makes the difference. RP30W also performs reliably on label dispensing lines even in cold conditions.

WITH FILMIC FACE STOCKS

RC7W is specially designed for wash-off film labels on PET beverage bottles destined for recycling. During the wash-off process in hot caustic, gravity separates label materials with RC7W from ground-up PET bottles. This separation produces pure, food-grade polyester suitable for re-use as bottles.

RP37

Clear, strong and resilient adhesion

RP37 is a multipurpose adhesive for label films in combination with paper liners, with properties well-suited to wine and spirits labelling. Strong adhesion combines with good resistance to water and UV, for resilience in a variety of conditions.

RP74

High transparency ‘no-label look’

RP74 is designed for a quality no-label look on transparent containers such as PET and glass. It is combined with clear label faces on PET film liners to encourage a smooth and clear adhesive wet-out. Long-lasting clarity is assured by excellent resistance to water-whitening once labelled.

RP76E

Enduring clarity, exuding quality

RP76E is specifically designed for ultra-clear bottle labelling. It is combined with clear film faces and filmic liners to produce a smooth adhesive layer for an optimally clear adhesive wet-out.

With excellent UV-stability and resistance to whitening when exposed to water and ice-bucket conditions, the enduring clarity of RP76E reinforces perceptions of quality.

RC7B

Wet bottle labelling clarity plus pasteurization

This UV-acrylic adhesive for film label faces has excellent resistance to moisture and water. In particular, RC7B provides good adhesion and retains its clarity even when applied to wet bottles.

RC7B’s excellent temperature and water-whitening resistance also make it a good match for applications where bottles are labelled prior to pasteurization.

RC7W

Clean wash-off for recovering food-grade PET

RC7W is specially designed for wash-off film labels on PET beverage bottles destined for recycling. During the wash-off process in hot caustic, gravity separates label materials with RC7W from ground-up PET bottles. This separation produces pure, food-grade polyester suitable for re-use as bottles.

Tyre labelling presents a real challenge for pressure sensitive adhesives. The roughness of the substrate and the uneven tyre profile severely limit the contact area between the tyre and label. The adhesive must also withstand migration from chemical components of the rubber as well as the wax or silicone-based chemicals often used as mould-release agents during the tyre manufacturing process. Very aggressive immediate adhesion is required.

Tyres are normally labelled in room temperature by hand or increasingly by automatic dispensing. Subsequent storage conditions can vary from room temperature to warmer or colder conditions in warehouses or outdoors. Accordingly, the adhesive must also maintain its properties in low and high temperatures.

ADHESIVES

RHT

The heavy duty RHT adhesive proves its performance every day on the production lines of nearly every tyre manufacturer. This high-tack, high coat-weight adhesive assures excellent performance to minimise re-labelling due to lost labels and assure reliable tracing and identification.

RH40

RH40 is supplied with cost-efficient label stock alternatives for labelling relatively smooth and even surfaces on particular car and motorcycle tyres.

RD50

RD50 is specially developed for tyre manufacturers’ internal logistics. Labels are dispensed onto the side of the rubber tyre before the vulcanisation process which bonds the tyre components and produces the tread.