According to Australian & New Zealand Food Standards Code 3.2.2 it is critical that all food businesses use all practicable measures to ensure that food packaging is not contaminated.
Static electricity can attract dust and other contaminants to a food process. However did you know that the equipment used to reduce the amount of static electricity in these exact same food processes can also be a contaminant itself.
The use of conductive foam during IML processes which can break
off during the in mold process and lodge within the food packaging
is a potential source of food contamination. We suggest the use
of pinning systems as opposed to conductive foam for any food
grade IML process.
The use of static control bars that are made from a food grade
appropriate material is important. Typically metals or plastics that can
harbor mould or fungi should be avoided.
The use of static control bars with emitter pins made from
tungsten carbide or stainless steel should also be avoided
due to particle burst where the broken pin can fall into the food
or packaging process.
Static combs and brushes and carbon string or static string
should be avoided in food processing and packaging as
comb or brush filaments and string filaments can fall off into the process.
The consequences for using these types of controls is that if a contaminant falls into the process and embeds on the label or container (even if it is on the underside of the label, within or on the outside of the wall of the container) a customer may perceive that the contaminant is in the food or beverage. The cost of a product recall and all of the associated costs is significant, let alone the impost and damage to reputation.