LogoJET recently launched two food-safe printers – the FSR30 and the FSR90.
The company had beta-tested the printers – built on the same industrial platform as its UV printer – with internationally known candy and cookie makers, according to LogoJET CEO Susan Cox.
"The concept of printing in food using LogoJET printers started in 2018 and it was immediately proven by several customers and food applications, said Oscar Granados, LogoJET sales director. "The FSR30 and FSR90 are the result of the development process of a pure edible model printer with its respective fully regulatory compliant inks, which started in 2019."
There's a reason it took some time to reach the market.
"Getting into the food world requires high-level regulatory knowledge," Granados said. "For the past years, we have been building this skill set."
The printers use full CMYK printing, creating nice vibrant images with a broad range of colors on various types of food, according to Cox.
New edible inks were developed in partnership with Sun Chemical.
"Due to the food-grade nature of the inks, this makes them the most important piece in the puzzle," Granados said. "Finding the right partner who knows everything about food regulations and also about digital inks was challenging. Going through all the different stages of the inks' development with all its regulatory milestones was demanding and required additional steps that we were not used to.
"Food innocuity is non-negotiable. All ink components have to be food grade FDA certified," Granados added. "Followed by the manufacturing process of the inks in a certified food GMP facility. The inks go through several quality control steps to guarantee that they are safe for ingestion."
While edible printers have been on the market for five years, Cox said, the FSR printers represent the next generation in printing on food.
The new FSR printers are built for heavy-duty industrial usage and designed to bring customization to large-scale food manufacturers, the CEO added.
The FSR30 can print on items up to 2.5” thick and the FSR90 can print on items up to 6” thick.
"It is a complete package for customers who want to decorate food with a very productive printer that was designed for this purpose – easy to clean, built with food compliant components and most importantly food-grade inks," Granados said. "Other attempts in the past, including our initial stages, lacked productivity or, in other companies, were missing the food regulatory compliance which generated doubt in customers".
The printers can print directly to cakes, cookies, candies, bread, tortillas – even small marshmallows, according to Lon Riley, LogoJET’s chief operating officer.
"Printing in food is not a new concept," Granados said. "Today, you can find food products in the supermarket that have fun images – cartoon characters, emojis, love messages – or colorful decorations to attract kids.
"What we are launching here is the ability to do it digitally, with the power it offers thanks to its flexibility and the ability to change the images on the run," he continued. "Food brands are already taking advantage of customization and digital printing in packaging (ie: “Share a Coke” campaign), some are already decorating the food with very basic colors.
After three years of exploring this avenue, today we have several customers printing tens of thousands of cookies a day with images that vary from fun characters to restaurant logos. And some of them are even allowing the customer to design their own product online and get them delivered within very short periods of time. This can only be done with digital printing," Granados concluded.
