As the German Printing Ink Ordinance (GIO) moves closer to taking effect in January 2027, ink manufacturers supplying food packaging are under increasing pressure to meet tough new safety standards. The regulation requires extensive reformulation, development work and testing to ensure only approved substances are used in printing inks and coatings.
International ink specialist hubergroup Print Solutions says it is already ahead of the curve. The company confirms that all of its products intended for food packaging applications already comply fully with the GIO, despite the regulation not becoming mandatory for another year.
The GIO, part of the German Consumer Goods Ordinance and linked to the Cosmetics Regulation, is designed to strengthen consumer protection by tightly regulating substances used in food packaging inks.
While an update to the regulation had originally been scheduled for early 2026, the German Federal Council delayed its entry into force until December 31, 2026. hubergroup says it has used this extended timeline to systematically prepare and has now completed all necessary adjustments across its relevant product portfolio.
“The new German Printing Ink Ordinance will come into force in January 2027 – at hubergroup, we are already complying with it a year ahead. We are delighted to announce that all our products for food packaging are GIO-compliant”, said Alessandro Moresco, Consumer Care Manager and Product Safety Expert at hubergroup.
According to the company, compliance applies across its entire food packaging range, including Gecko flexo and gravure inks and varnishes, MGA conventional sheet-fed inks, NewV Pack MGA UV-curable sheet-fed inks and varnishes, ACRYLAC MGA water-based varnishes, HYDRO-X GA water-based inks and varnishes, and iray MGA UV flexo inks.
By achieving early compliance, hubergroup says it is providing planning security for printers, converters and brand owners, while reinforcing its focus on product safety, regulatory reliability and long-term partnerships across the food packaging value chain.
