Cereal firms seek safer packaging following toxic oil concerns
Cereal firm Jordans has moved away from using recycled cardboard in its packaging, while other cereal firms are also researching alterations to their packaging in order to reduce their toxic oil content.
The moves are being made in an attempt to prevent the mineral oils which come from printing inks contaminating the food contents, with the plastic which holds the cereal inside each box unable to protect it.
Researchers have found that recycled packaging, made from newspapers, contain toxic chemicals.
As a result, cereal firm Jordans has ceased using recycled cardboard, moving instead to introduce packaging with ‘virgin’ cardboard, from newly harvested trees, although there is not enough of this more expensive material to fully replace all recycled cardboard entirely.
The BBC has reported that Kellogg’s and Weetabix are also looking to reduce the amount of mineral oil contained within their packaging.
According to research in Germany, the longer the box of cereal stands on a shelf, the more oil is absorbed, with more than half of the cardboard in Europe coming from recycled materials.
Weetabix is reportedly looking to continue to use recycled cardboard that does not use newspapers while Kellogg's has said that it is working with its suppliers on providing new safe packaging that would meet its environmental comitments too.