Safe and Hygienic Paper Cups
Paper, arguably the single most important raw material used in the manufacture of paper cups, determines the quality of the cups on several counts -- aesthetics, durability, safety, and hygiene.
To ensure high quality, Sri Lakshmi Polypack exclusively uses ITC’s Indobev brand of cup stock paperboard for making its hot and cold beverage paper cups. Certified by ISO and BRC Global Standards and compliant with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards, it is the most hygienic paperboard available in India and is especially suited for use in the food industry.
Sri Lakshmi Polypack is also a member of ITC Indobev’s ‘Champion Network’, an initiative by ITC that brings together quality-conscious paper cup manufacturers across India who are trained in the health, hygiene, and safety aspects of cup manufacturing.
The paperboard we use has:
- Grease and water resistance and optimum heat sealing capabilities due to the presence of a uniformly laid thin coating of food-grade Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE) (replacing traditional wax coating). It has a high (~200°C) melting point
- High organoleptic performance (i.e., no interference with taste and odour) of the paper cup due to use of the more eco-friendly Light Elemental Chlorine Free (Light ECF) technique for bleaching wood pulp
- Optimum bulk and stiffness resulting in superior strength of the body of the paper cup
- Excellent stretch value which leads to perfect rim formation
- Smooth print surface for hot cups permits exceptional color reproduction even with the flexographic (flexo) printing machines used by Sri Lakshmi Polypack
- No harmful Optical Brightening Agents (OBAs) thereby eliminating the possibility of ingesting them when the cup comes into contact with saliva while drinking
Besides these qualities of the paperboard that we use, other factors also make our paper cups safe and hygienic for human use:
- Only water-based food-grade inks are used to do all our printing. Such inks are not only safe and environmentally considerate but also eliminate the unpleasant side effect caused by solvent-based inks that cause cups to emit solvent smell when filled with hot beverages
- We use flexographic (flexo) printing which offers durability and safety. Government regulations require that for safety reasons food packaging containers be printed with inks that will not wear off or flake. Flexography removes this threat by ensuring that the prints properly bond with the paper substrate
- Fully automated: Our entire process of paper cup forming — from reel to cup to packaging—is fully automated, without any human touch, ensuring the highest levels of hygiene