CTI Reveal Ink Adds Food Safety to its Plate

Published: November 22, 2013

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | Chromatic Technologies Inc. (CTI) has announced development of patent-pending Reveal inks that provide return to fridge reminders to such vulnerable products as milk, yogurt, salsa, pickles and ketchup. Most parents know that food safety at home is a big deal, but they need help understanding how long they can keep something out of the fridge, said Patrick Edson, CTIs chief marketing officer.

Food companies are understandably hesitant to put warning labels on their packaging, so the problem continues to exist. The simple solution is a return to fridge reminder that appears on packaging when the product starts to warm up and the product can become vulnerable to spoilage. When the temperature is fine, the reminder is off. When the package is getting warm, the reminder turns on, Edson added.

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends any refrigerated food should be discarded if it has been in temperatures above 40 deg F. (4.4 deg C.) for over two hours.

CTI's Reveal inks can be printed on paper labels, cartons, film, and cans and is powered by a combination of thermochromic inks. When the product, such as milk, is at a safe temperature, the message reads Drink Milk, but when the carton reaches a target warm temperature, a color will disappear, revealing a return to fridge reminder to the consumer. CTI's process allows the message, which is enabled to be on and off throughout the life of the package, to be customized.