Once again there is an excitement about an additive in the film and paper industry. We have taken a look at it and compiled some facts. It is not only an additive for flexpack, but also for food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Is it therefore not so important for films and paper? Talc or talcum can be contaminated with asbestos or have similar structures – but what does that mean?
1) Types of cancer and evidence: Talc is associated with various types of cancer, including ovarian, lung and laryngeal cancer. The WHO experts consider the evidence to be sufficient.
2) Risk from asbestos contamination: In the past, talc was often contaminated with asbestos, which is part of the risk. This is relevant as similar materials are often used in industry and emphasises the need for careful contamination controls. How relevant this really is for packaging materials remains to be investigated. But even without asbestos, talc harbours further risks.
3) Impacts on products and manufacturing processes: Talc is used in a variety of products, including cosmetics and packaging materials that come into contact with food and pharmaceuticals. The cancer risk can therefore also have an impact on the regulation and safety assessment of these products.
4) Industrial relevance: For the packaging industry, this categorisation may mean a review and adaption of the materials used, especially if talc is used in production. Companies may be forced to find alternative materials or introduce additional purity and safety tests. However, this is not yet the case.
5) Regulatory and legal considerations: The classification of talc as “probably carcinogenic” could lead to stricter regulations and potential legal challenges, especially in markets with high safety standards for consumer products.
6) Talc is added to plastics: e.g. to increase rigidity (modulus of elasticity), as a nucleating agent, to increase thermal conductivity and thus speed up production, for optical effects, etc. It is also used as a filler in paper and cellulose.
7) Talc is listed in the Plastics Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 without a limit value: It may be added to plastics in quantities that do not exceed the limit value for total migration of 10 mg/dm². As talc is a food additive (E 553b), it must be listed in the declaration of compliance as a dual-use additive.
For your company, this may mean that you need to assess potential risks and take proactive measures to ensure the compliance and safety of your products.
However, there are currently no specific instructions for flex packers.
Here you can find articles on the topic that we used for our research, among other things: https://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/talk-ist-wahrscheinlich-krebserregend-149525/
Karsten Schröder and Heike Schwertke, Innoform GmbH
