Toyo Ink America, a member of the Toyo Ink Group, has added the TomoFlex series of high performance polyester-type, two-component adhesives to its high-barrier packaging solutions lineup. Specifically designed for lamination of plastic films to flexible films and aluminum foil, the solvent-based TomoFlex 250HV-US is formulated for high-temperature retort-pouch processing up to 135°C.

Over the last few years, there has been strong growth in food categories, such as snack foods, pre-cooked and ready-to-eat meals, that require laminated packages that help protect content quality and extend their shelf life. This trend has been driving the demand for new barrier technologies, in particular multi-laminate structures capable of withstanding challenging retort conditions. Toyo Ink America is looking to meet this demand by expanding its portfolio of packaging inks and adhesives and strengthening its presence in the premium packaging segment.

“We are pleased to bring the Group’s expertise in multi-barrier packaging structure design and development to the US flexible packaging market,” says Hisayuki Abe, president of Toyo Ink America. “The Toyo Ink Group is the market leader in the retort pouch technology in Asia, so we understand the performance and supply needs of the demanding packaging industry. We also produce our own resins used in our inks and adhesives, which gives us total control over the critical components affecting bonding and barrier properties. This allows us to deliver premium high-barrier inks and adhesives to our customers with the convenience and reliability of a single source supplier.”

The TomoFlex 250HV-US offers high chemical resistance to acidic foods with low solvent residue and high bond strengths. It can be used to replace aluminum foil or metalized films in multilayer laminated structures, providing excellent barrier properties with less material usage. Moreover, the newly added line of lamination adhesives complements Toyo Ink America’s complete portfolio of packaging laminating inks, such as the solvent-based Rexta series and the new general-use XJK series for flexo printing, and the multi-purpose LioAlpha series of toluene-free and MEK-free gravure printing systems.