Sun Chemical cuts plastic barriers with DFC ink systems

Sun Chemical cuts plastic barriers with DFC ink systems

Vidhya Edwards Munnangi

Wed, September 9, 2026 at 12:46 PM GMT+3 2 min read

Sun Chemical has introduced SunPak DFC inPace, a sheetfed offset ink system for folding cartons used in direct food contact packaging and has also widened its AquaSafe water-based ink range with additional base colours.

SunPak DFC inPace is produced at the company's Badalona Centre of Excellence in Spain for food packaging.

The company said that direct food contact inks and coatings from the site are supported by dedicated production capabilities intended to provide consistent quality, regulatory compliance and supply continuity across the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

According to the company, the ink system and related coatings offer direct food contact compliance, remove the need for plastic laminates and inserts, and support packaging structures that are easier to recycle.

Sun Chemical noted that the range has a high bio-based carbon content verified through Carbon-14 testing, while helping reduce material use and production stages.

It added that the system may also support reduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees and enable internal package printing.

Alongside this, Sun Chemical has added nine new base colours to its AquaSafe water-based direct food contact ink portfolio.

The company said the broader range increases the available colour gamut and improves vibrancy and colour accuracy.

AquaSafe inks are intended for direct food contact uses on paper, paperboard, flexible films and aluminium foil.

Sun Chemical said the range can be used in packaging formats that replace plastic barriers while meeting food safety and performance requirements.

Both SunPak DFC inPace and AquaSafe now include an expanded colour gamut featuring a newly developed food-compliant green pigment.

The company has integrated GamutViewer into SunColorBox, which it said allows users to check whether a target colour can be achieved before production begins.

Sun Chemical EMEA product strategy director and global sustainability business leader Nicolas Betin said: "Packaging producers and brand owners are looking to simplify packaging, improve recyclability, and enhance consumer engagement.

"With SunPak DFC inPace and the expanded AquaSafe portfolio, we are providing solutions for both offset and flexographic applications that help customers achieve sustainability, compliance, operational efficiency, and creative freedom."

"Sun Chemical cuts plastic barriers with DFC ink systems " was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand.