Continuous Inkjet Printing Challenges for the Food and Beverage Industry

The food and beverage industry is strictly regulated and requires a lot of information to be printed on the products they supply. In addition, food and beverages need to be produced under stringent hygiene requirements, making it a unique challenge for continuous inkjet printers.

Below is a list of the requirements that an excellent continuous inkjet printer must meet to fulfill the requirements of working with food and beverages.

Clear, Consistent & High-Quality Marking

Because all of the information coded on food and beverage products is important–even required by law in some cases–the printing must be very readable, even when printed at extremely small font sizes. Some products don’t have a lot of space to work with so clear print is essential.

Fast Printing Speed

Food and beverage production is a very fast process. The average factory churns out thousands of individual products each hour, so the continuous inkjet printer you select needs to be fast to keep up with the pace of production at the plant.

Ability to Print on Multiple Surfaces

The continuous inkjet printer you select needs to be able to print on many different surfaces. From standard cardboard to plastic containers, bags, and films, glass bottles and aluminum cans, the industrial inkjet printer you choose must be able to handle different surface types seamlessly.

Some printers even need to have the ability to print on the food products themselves for marketing and promotion purposes or for specific FDA requirements. One example is the Leibinger JET3up EP egg coding printer, specifically designed to print directly on the shell of the egg.

Ability to Print a Variety of Information

Production line inkjet printers don’t only have to print expiration dates and lot numbers, they need to be able to print EAN and DataMatrix codes, barcodes, QR codes, and even company logos. The continuous inkjet printer you select must be able to print these easily and without a lot of fuss.

Marks Clearly in Extreme Conditions

Industrial coding and marking equipment used in food and beverage production must be able to handle extreme temperatures as well as dusty, humid and wet conditions and still mark clearly. The industrial inkjet printers used in these industries must be water-resistant and able to handle the daily mandatory cleaning process in most food and beverage production facilities.

Feature to Monitor and Verify Printing

Because of the strict regulations in the food and beverage production industries, the printing needs to be carefully monitored and logged–not only for regulatory purposes, but for quality control as well.

All Pro Technical Service Helps You Select a Continuous Inkjet Printer for Food Production

Let All Pro Technical Service help you select a continuous inkjet printer that meets all of the requirements above and then some. We highly recommend the Leibinger JET3up PRO industrial inkjet printer for most food and beverage applications. We also carry FDA-compliant industrial inkjet ink and solvent for these production line printers. For more information, give us a call at (636) 724-0332 or fill out our online contact form to speak to production line inkjet printer specialist today.