{"id":10412,"date":"2025-12-08T08:00:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T05:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/eupia-gmp-5-0-updated-guidelines-food-contact-inks\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T09:54:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T06:54:21","slug":"eupia-gmp-5-0-updated-guidelines-food-contact-inks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/eupia-gmp-5-0-updated-guidelines-food-contact-inks\/","title":{"rendered":"EuPIA GMP 5.0: Updated Standard for Food-Contact Inks"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The European Printing Ink Association (EuPIA) has published the completely revised 5th version of its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eupia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2025-11-05_EuPIA_GMP_5th_version.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for Printing Inks used on Food Contact Materials<\/a>. This is the first major overhaul since 2016 and marks a significant step forward in aligning ink manufacturing practices with modern quality systems, global production realities, and updated regulatory expectations. For converters, suppliers and packaging producers, the new GMP offers a clearer, more structured framework to help ensure safety and compliance across the entire ink supply chain.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/eupia-gmp-5-0-updated-guidelines-food-contact-inks\/#A_New_Structure_for_a_Changing_Industry\" >A New Structure for a Changing Industry<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/eupia-gmp-5-0-updated-guidelines-food-contact-inks\/#Clearer_Roles_The_%E2%80%9CCompetent_Person%E2%80%9D\" >Clearer Roles: The \u201cCompetent Person\u201d<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/eupia-gmp-5-0-updated-guidelines-food-contact-inks\/#Stronger_Links_to_EuPIA_Guidance\" >Stronger Links to EuPIA Guidance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/eupia-gmp-5-0-updated-guidelines-food-contact-inks\/#Raw_Materials_More_Transparency_Less_Uncertainty\" >Raw Materials: More Transparency, Less Uncertainty<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/eupia-gmp-5-0-updated-guidelines-food-contact-inks\/#FMEA_and_HACCP_Reinforced_Risk_Management\" >FMEA and HACCP: Reinforced Risk Management<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/eupia-gmp-5-0-updated-guidelines-food-contact-inks\/#Expanded_Operational_Requirements\" >Expanded Operational Requirements<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/eupia-gmp-5-0-updated-guidelines-food-contact-inks\/#Why_This_Matters_for_the_Packaging_Supply_Chain\" >Why This Matters for the Packaging Supply Chain<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/eupia-gmp-5-0-updated-guidelines-food-contact-inks\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_New_Structure_for_a_Changing_Industry\"><\/span><strong>A New Structure for a Changing Industry<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The most visible update in the 5th revision is the <strong>complete restructuring<\/strong> of the GMP. EuPIA has aligned the document with ISO 9001:2015, giving manufacturers a quality-management layout they already know and use. This <strong>simplifies integration <\/strong>into existing systems and improves day-to-day <strong>usability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The updated structure also reflects how the packaging industry has evolved. <strong>Ink production is no longer confined to Europe alone.<\/strong> Many EuPIA member companies now also operate global facilities, and the previous region-limited approach no longer matches reality. The revised GMP expands its geographical scope so companies can apply it consistently across all their operations.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Clearer_Roles_The_%E2%80%9CCompetent_Person%E2%80%9D\"><\/span><strong>Clearer Roles: The \u201cCompetent Person\u201d<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the standout additions is the definition of the \u201c<strong>competent person<\/strong>.\u201d Earlier versions implied the need for such a role, but version 5 makes it explicit and describes the knowledge and training required. This includes <strong>regulatory awareness, raw-material selection, NIAS and NLS assessment skills, migration interpretation, hygiene practices and internal procedures<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">For manufacturers, this means responsibility is no longer vague, and for customers, it provides confidence that qualified individuals oversee safety-critical decisions.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stronger_Links_to_EuPIA_Guidance\"><\/span><strong>Stronger Links to EuPIA Guidance<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The new GMP creates a <strong>tighter, more practical network<\/strong> <strong>of references<\/strong> to other EuPIA documents. It also highlights tools that many ink manufacturers are already using but had not been formally tied into the GMP framework. These include:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>Migration testing guidance<\/li>\n<li>NIAS and NLS risk assessment guidelines<\/li>\n<li>Suitability lists for photoinitiators and photosynergists<\/li>\n<li>General risk-assessment and raw-material selection guidance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This interlinking ensures that any company applying the GMP also uses the right supporting documents and avoids gaps that could cause compliance issues downstream later.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-10407 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/EuPIA-Releases-Fully-Revised-GMP-5.0-for-Food-Contact-Inks-printing-machine-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"EuPIA GMP 5.0 Updated Standard for Food-Contact Inks - Large format inkjet printer working\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/EuPIA-Releases-Fully-Revised-GMP-5.0-for-Food-Contact-Inks-printing-machine-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/EuPIA-Releases-Fully-Revised-GMP-5.0-for-Food-Contact-Inks-printing-machine-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/EuPIA-Releases-Fully-Revised-GMP-5.0-for-Food-Contact-Inks-printing-machine-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/EuPIA-Releases-Fully-Revised-GMP-5.0-for-Food-Contact-Inks-printing-machine-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/EuPIA-Releases-Fully-Revised-GMP-5.0-for-Food-Contact-Inks-printing-machine-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Raw_Materials_More_Transparency_Less_Uncertainty\"><\/span><strong>Raw Materials: More Transparency, Less Uncertainty<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">EuPIA has added clarity on <strong>what information manufacturers should expect regarding raw-material composition<\/strong>. This includes what NIAS a raw material may reasonably be expected to contain and what impurities are typical based on the chemistry involved. These expectations strengthen the risk-assessment process and help avoid the trial-and-error approach that previously occurred when suppliers failed to provide sufficient details.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FMEA_and_HACCP_Reinforced_Risk_Management\"><\/span><strong>FMEA and HACCP: Reinforced Risk Management<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Food-contact safety depends heavily on anticipating and mitigating hazards<\/strong>. The revised GMP underlines the aforementioned by embedding <strong>Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)<\/strong> as the standard method for risk assessment. It also incorporates <strong>HACCP principles<\/strong> more explicitly, creating a consistent way to evaluate chemical, microbiological and physical risks.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">New or updated elements include:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>Defined intervals for reviewing risk assessments<\/li>\n<li>A stronger link between change management and risk reassessment<\/li>\n<li>Clearer guidance on worst-case calculations<\/li>\n<li>Enhanced focus on cross-contamination prevention, especially for DFC (Direct Food Contact) inks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This brings the ink sector closer to the food industry\u2019s own safety approach, which is essential as packaging becomes more complex and regulatory scrutiny increases.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Expanded_Operational_Requirements\"><\/span><strong>Expanded Operational Requirements<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The revised document strengthens expectations across operations, including:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><strong>Hygiene and infrastructure<\/strong>: More detailed zoning and cleanliness requirements, supported by examples and risk-based decision making.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Equipment and maintenance<\/strong>: Explicit expectations for validated cleaning procedures, particularly where equipment is shared between FCM and non-FCM inks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cleaning agents and auxiliary materials<\/strong>: Stricter control on approval, segregation and worst-case migration calculations for any chemical that could remain as residue.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Packaging and labelling<\/strong>: Requirements for virgin or validated containers for DFC inks, improved cleanliness inspections and clearer labelling.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Customer communication<\/strong>: Expanded rules on technical data sheets, statements of composition, migration-related information and application suitability.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Traceability<\/strong>: A more robust pathway both forward and backward, with mandatory testing of traceability systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_This_Matters_for_the_Packaging_Supply_Chain\"><\/span><strong>Why This Matters for the Packaging Supply Chain<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The revised GMP reflects the <strong>rising expectations<\/strong> throughout the food packaging value chain. Retailers, brand owners, converters and regulators all demand <strong>more<\/strong> <strong>transparency<\/strong>,<strong> better documentation <\/strong>and<strong> higher safety assurance<\/strong>. At the same time, converters gain clearer information on <strong>ink suitability<\/strong>, enabling more reliable compliance assessments for finished food-contact materials.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">EuPIA\u2019s 5th revised GMP is a major redesign that brings ink-manufacturing practices in line with modern quality systems and the complex reality of global supply chains. With clearer rules, stronger risk-management requirements and better integration with EuPIA\u2019s supporting guidance, the new GMP sets a higher and more consistent standard for inks used on food-contact materials.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>EuPIA members are expected to introduce and apply the new GMP from 1 January 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>You can find the revised 5th version of the GMP <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eupia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2025-11-05_EuPIA_GMP_5th_version.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><em>here<\/em><\/a><em>. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>EuPIA GMP 5.0 introduces a fully revised framework for food-contact inks, strengthening compliance, risk management and quality expectations across global operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10408,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en","category-advocacy-enforcement-en","category-28","category-543","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10412"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10412\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11510,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10412\/revisions\/11510"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}