PAPER PLATES WITH COLORFUL PRINTS AND DECORATIONS

Description

Title: “PAPER PLATES WITH COLORFUL PRINTS AND DECORATIONS” * * * * * FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of containers and plates or trays for food on printed paper with colorful images, drawings, patterns and decorations. FRONT TECHNIQUE In the prior art it is known to make decorated paper plates made waterproof by a layer of plastic material. Think for example of the sets of plates, glasses, napkins decorated for birthdays of the little ones that can be colored and decorated with drawings and images colored ones representing, for example, cartoon characters, such as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. EC Regulation No. 1935 / 2004 which regulates the hygiene discipline of packaging, containers, utensils, intended to come into contact with foodstuffs or with substances for personal use, applies to materials and objects which in their state of finished products are intended to come into contact with food products. Materials and objects must be produced in accordance with the rules that establish that under normal or foreseeable conditions of use they do not transfer to food products containing components in quantities sufficient to constitute a danger to the health human health, lead to an unacceptable change in the composition of the food products and cause a deterioration in their characteristics organoleptic. There are types of food for which a migration test is required such as meat of all zoological species, processed meat products (such as ham, salami, bacon and other cured meats), cheeses, fresh pastries, fried or roasted foods etc. The legislation in force prohibits the use of any type of printed paper, or which bears photos or images, logos or writings for direct contact with food. The law requires that paper intended to come into contact with food be neutral, that is, it is not written or decorated, to avoid the migration of ink towards the food. Some manufacturers have circumvented this rule by producing boxes or cards from packaging or placemats that have a white inside (or without writing and images) that comes into contact with the food and a colored outer side or decorated. There is currently a problem with the production of paper food plates colored or printed which prohibits direct contact between the color and the food due to the introduction of the SUP (Single Use Plastic) directive and by the Ministerial Decree of 21.03.1973. Before the ban on the production and marketing of paper plates covered with Polyethylene it was possible to print the paper with colors to make decorations, images, motifs and logos and then couple it with the PE Polyethylene so that there was no direct contact between colored ink and food and migration was prevented of the ink. In particular, the plastic layer of Polyethylene PE that covered the paper acted as barrier to the migration of colored ink and prevented it from coming into contact with food. From 14 January 2022 the rules against single-use plastic officially came into force also in force in Italy. The legislative decree, resulting from the implementation of the directive SUP (single use plastics) 2019 / 904 of the European Community, prohibits the sale of cutlery, plates, straws and other plastic products, including oxo-degradable ones (material capable of decomposing in the presence of oxygen). Also included in the list are cotton buds, stirrers for drinks, balloon sticks, some specific food containers and all those for drinks made of expanded polystyrene. Today there are no colored inks, paints or colors available for paper and cardboard that can be used to decorate paper plates and containers intended for food contact capable of fully protecting food and food from contamination due to ink migration from the container to the content. Currently, therefore, it is not possible to create a total colour barrier especially because the regulations that apply to verify whether or not there is ink migration are exclusively specific to products coated in plastic. Since the beginning of 2022, the production and sale of disposable products has been banned such as plates, glasses, cutlery, ice cream scoops or stirring sticks hot drinks, food packaging, etc. Therefore, there is a lack of more decisive and concrete rules on the chemical substances contained in paper or cardboard used as food packaging. New tests of laboratory tests would in fact show that some food packaging made of cardboard and paper may contain and release chemicals from inks used for printing. Paper is the second most used food packaging material after plastic. Unlike plastic, however, there are no EU rules regulating the use of printed paper as a material in contact with food. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The purpose of the invention has been achieved by a container as defined in claim 1. A process and a machine for making the product are also protected. of the containers according to the invention. A food container printed with colorful patterns, images or writing, in which the container is made of laminated paper treated on at least one side with a covering material that after being deposited and dried creates a film on the paper layered a layer with glassy properties that gives it properties of impermeability to liquids. The laminated paper comprises at least a first layer made of parchment-type paper, in which on one side of the first layer of paper parchment is printed with different patterns, images or writings in colored ink making a second layer include colored ink, a third layer of glue and a fourth layer made from a backing card to provide strength. The first layer of parchment paper allows for the creation of a barrier functional that completely blocks the migration of colored ink present in the second layer towards the outside, that is towards the foods contained in the container. The first layer of parchment paper also allows for the transparency needed to make the printed part with patterns visible from the outside, colored images or writing. The container is made by die-cutting the paper layered treated to create the flat development of the container. Preferably, the container is made by drawing the flat development of the container made of treated and die-cut laminated paper. In some embodiments the first layer of parchment paper is chosen from the papers 2 2 which have a weight of 30 - 120 g / m and preferably 40 – 50 g / m. The colored inks are chosen among the inks permitted for food use such as Direct Food Contact inks, DFC, and in particular in the SUN range CHEMICAL AQUASAFE DFC. The third layer of glue is made with food glues, in particular with glues vinyl or acrylic. Finally, the reinforcement cardboard is made of virgin paper of a weight including 2 2 between 100 and 600 g / m preferably between 200 and 400 g / m . The covering material that is used to cover the laminated paper is a sol, that is, a viscous solution containing silicon compounds which in the subsequent phases when deposited on the laminated paper they give rise to condensation reactions forming a three-dimensional lattice of silicon-oxygen bonds. In the exact composition of the starting sol to make the roofing material some silicon-oxygen bonds are replaced by bonds between silicon and other species like alkyl groups. Preferably, the sol that makes the covering material (Q) is prepared dispersing or dissolving in water or hydroalcoholic mixtures at least one alkyltrialkoxysilane and at least one second component selected from silica micrometric and a tetraalkoxysilane, or both. In the treatment of the covering material, once spread on the paper stratified, the condensation reactions that lead to the formation of the layer glassy are made by heating, at temperatures between 100 and 250 °C, preferably between 150 and 200 °C. The process for making the containers involves the application of the covering material on the laminated paper and die cutting to make the flat development of the container, in which the application of the covering material occurs on at least one side of the container's flat surface or on all surfaces external of the flat development of the container, in which the flat development is treated with the covering material through spreading rollers. Subsequently, the flat development treated is dried at temperatures between 100 and 250 °C, preferably between 150 and 200 °C to create a layer with glass-like properties that It gives the property of impermeability to liquids. In some embodiments the dried flat development is then drawn for create the shape of the container. Alternatively, the process for making the containers requires that the covering material is applied to the laminated and die-cut paper for carry out the flat development of the container and the application of the material coverage occurs on at least one side of the flat development of the container or on all the external surfaces of the container's flat development and in which the flat development is treated with the covering material by means of spreading rollers. The development the surface thus treated with the covering material and still wet is drawn for to create the shape of the container, in which the treated and drawn flat development is dried at temperatures between 100 and 250 °C, preferably between 150 and 200 °C to create a layer with glass-like properties which gives properties of impermeability to liquids. A container making machine comprises a station unwinding of the layered paper roll, a die-cutting station for realize the flat development of the container, a treatment station for the application of the roofing material on at least one side of the flat development made from die-cut layered paper, a heating station temperatures between 100 and 250 °C, preferably between 150 and 200 °C to create on the laminated paper treated a layer with glassy properties which gives liquid-impermeable property. Preferably, the machine also has a stamping station for create the shape of the container. Differently the machine for making containers includes a unwinding station for the laminated paper roll, a die-cutting station to realize the flat development of the container, a treatment station for the application of the covering material on the flat development created by the paper die-cut layered, a stamping station to create the shape of the container, and finally a heating station at temperatures between 100 and 250 °C, preferably between 150 and 200 °C to dry the covering material and create a layer with glass-like properties on the treated and drawn layered paper which It gives the property of impermeability to liquids. Preferably, the treatment station for applying the material coverage includes spreading rollers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES In the following of this description reference will be made to the drawings shown in the attached figures, in which: Figure 1 shows examples of plates and trays according to this invention, Figure 2 shows examples of plates and containers according to this invention, Figure 3 shows an example of layered paper for making the plates, trays and containers according to the present invention, and Figure 4 shows examples of laminated paper treated with the material coverage. The parts according to this description have been represented in the drawings, where appropriate, with conventional symbols, showing only those specific details that are relevant to the understanding of the embodiments of this invention, so as not to highlight details that will be immediately evident to expert technicians of the art, with reference to the description given here. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The solution according to this will now be described with the help of drawings. invention. Overall, the results of the tests conducted demonstrate that the packaging materials for Printed paper and cardboard foods may contain and release substances problematic chemicals, including many that have not been evaluated by the Agency European Food Safety Authority. Although none of the tested products in isolation can endanger human health, they contribute however, to the overall consumer exposure to chemical substances problematic and, in some cases, not evaluated. The solution proposed here allows the creation of plates, trays, containers, doilies or cake plates and any type of paper containers intended for contact with food, in which there are decorations or writings made with colored ink. In particular, the solution proposed here allows the creation of all types of decorated and printed paper containers mentioned above for contact and food transport, such as the containers illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. More specifically, this solution is aimed at disposable plates, trays for pastries, trays for cold cuts or fish (such as smoked salmon or various meat or fish carpaccios, hamburgers, sausages etc.), doilies or plates under cake and other containers that are intended for use with food. Such containers are preferably colored or printed with colored inks for create images, decorations, writings or logos. For example, Figure 1 shows a cake plate (Figure 1a), a tray for savory snacks or sweets Figure 1b), a plate decorated with Christmas decoration Figure 1c), a tray for fish or cured meats Figure 1d), trays for fresh or dry pastries Figure 1e) and a decorated birthday party plate Figure 1f). In Figure 2a) a cake plate is shown, in Figure 2b) a flat plate with the worked edge, and in Figure 2c) a deep plate with a worked edge. The legislation currently in force requires that, in order to be put in contact with food and food, such colored containers must be covered with a layer that completely blocks the migration of ink from the paper to the food contents. More precisely, it is necessary to place a functional barrier between the ink printed on the paper and the food. In addition, it is necessary to create a very strong barrier to water and grease and obtain a layer impermeable to contact with food, according to the tests of migrations with simulants and at temperatures as defined by current regulations. The current legislation DM 21.03.1973 and regulation 10 / 2011 provides that no printed or decorated paper can be placed in direct contact with food, to avoid contamination of food that could happen if it leaves colored ink came into contact with food. Therefore, the need arose to find a solution that would allow us to continue create paper containers that feature decorations or writing, ensuring a total barrier to ink migration. Starting from a printed or decorated paper (with colored or black inks) the The applicant has developed a solution that allows the creation of a barrier to ink migration and make containers made using this technique safe. Furthermore, food and food containers must ensure impermeability and resistance to food contact, and also comply with migration requirements global defined in the Ministerial Decree 21 / 03 / 73 in regulation 10 / 2011. The solution presented here allows to solve the problem of avoiding migration ink from paper into food. To do this the Applicant decided to use a particular card for print the images and decorations and use a Q covering material that creates a additional barrier to ink migration. In particular, the solution involves creating a container, such as a dish, made in a stratified form from several layers. As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the solution proposed here involves using a first layer 10 made of parchment paper (in particular that of transparencies) drawing) generally with a weight of around 40 – 50 g / m. On one side of the first layer 10 made of parchment paper different images are printed motifs or images with specific colours certified for direct contact with food making a second layer 20 of ink. In detail the inks used in the second layer 20 can be chosen at example in the SUN CHEMICAL AQUASAFE DFC range. Layer 10 of parchment paper appropriately printed with the ink layer 20 is glued using a third layer of glue 30 to a support cardboard 40. The glues used to make the 30 layer of glue must be food grade glues and in Generally, they are vinyl or acrylic glues. You can also consider using lacquers. heat sealants that are applied to the product and are activated by the temperature and act as a heat-sealing adhesive. These thermo-lacquers are also generally vinyl or acrylic base. In any case, all must be certified for contact with food. Then the 10 printed parchment paper is glued, keeping the printed side between the parchment paper 10 and the reinforcement cardboard 40. Typically the 40 reinforcement card is made of virgin paper of weight between 200 and 400g / m . Of course it is not possible to use printed and decorated paper as it is supplied, but it must be treated and covered with a waterproofing layer which allows the structure of the container made with this paper to be protected decorated while using with food and food. The 10-40 layered paper thus created is then covered on one or on all sides by a Q covering material. This Q covering material is able to make some types of paper transparent and taking advantage of this property, it was thought to create a container or a plate more ways to solve the technical problem of ink migration. The roofing material Q which is used to cover the printed and decorated layered paper. The Q covering material allows you to do two things: protect the decorated paper with which the container is made from water and liquids making it waterproof and help prevent ink migration into food. The covering material Q is a sol, i.e. a viscous solution containing compounds of silicon which in the phases following the deposit on the decorated and printed paper give give rise to condensation reactions forming a three-dimensional network of bonds silicon-oxygen, in which possibly, depending on the exact composition of the sol starting point, some silicon-oxygen bonds can be replaced by bonds between the silicon and other species (frequently alkyl groups). The structure consists of This three-dimensional lattice forms on the surface of the decorated paper and printed, at a macroscopic level, a layer with glass-like properties which gives liquid-impermeable property. The sol can be prepared by dispersing or dissolving in water or mixtures hydroalcoholic at least one alkyltrialkoxysilane and at least one second component chosen between micrometric silica and a tetraalkoxysilane, or both. Micrometric silica (also known in the art as “colloidal silica” or “fumed silica”) is a form of silica consisting of primary silica particles of size nanometric (i.e., dimensions smaller than a micrometer, µm) generally aggregate to form secondary particles of micrometric size. This material is widely available commercially and is sold for example by company Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH of Essen (Germany) under the name ® ® AEROSIL (for example, the product AEROSIL OX 50), or from the Cabot company ® Corporation of Boston, Massachusetts (USA) under the name Cab-O-Sil. Tetraalkoxysilanes are compounds with the general formula Si(OR), where R is generally a C1-C6 alkyl radical, preferably C1-C2. Alkyltrialkoxysilanes are compounds with the general formula R'-Si(OR)3, where R and R', equal or different from each other, they are generally C1-C6 alkyl radicals, preferably C1-C2. Tetraalkoxysilanes and alkyltrialkoxysilanes are also widely available products. commercial. A single useful for the purposes of the invention can be obtained by following the procedure described in patent application WO 2022 / 171893 A1 in the name of the present Applicant, dissolving or dispersing in water between 25 and 40% by weight of an alkyl- trialkoxysilane and a second component chosen from micrometric silica, a tetraalkoxysilane, or both. When present, micrometric silica is in quantity between 5 and 20% by weight of the sol, while tetraalkoxysilane, when present, is in a quantity between 15 and 25% by weight of the sol. Optionally to this sol is it is possible to add one or more other components chosen from a C1-C6 alcohol or one of their mixture and a base chosen between NaOH and KOH in quantities sufficient to regulate the pH in the range between 2 and 5. Once the sol gel has been distributed on the decorated and printed paper, the reactions of condensation which leads to the formation of the glassy layer as above described are made to occur by heating, typically at temperatures between 100 and 250 °C, preferably between 150 and 200 °C; in the case of heating to temperatures above approximately 230°C (230°C) (self-ignition of paper), heating must be rapid and last only for the time required for the liquid components of the initial sol to evaporate. The Q covering material acts as a water protection making it waterproof the colored and printed paper on which it is applied. The layered paper comprising 10-40 layers thus made is used in coil or sheet for the production of containers or plates with a process of thermoforming summarized as follows: - Unwinding of 10-40 layered paper reel, - Die-cutting of the flat development of the container or plate, - Roller treatment for applying Q covering material, - Drying of the covering material Q, and - Drawing to form the container or plate. For flat trays and cake plates, and all flat containers, the last step is not performed. The stratigraphy of the finished container or plate is as follows: Covering material Q, Parchment paper 10, Color 20, Glue 30, Cardstock reinforcement 40, and any covering material Q. With reference to Figure 4a, the embodiment is illustrated in which all the outer surfaces of the 10-40 layered paper are covered with the material Q coverage. In contrast, Figure 4b illustrates the embodiment where only one side is of the 10-40 laminated paper is covered with the Q covering material; in particular the treated side is the one made of 10 parchment paper which will come into contact with the foods. Of course it is possible to have intermediate situations in which only some sides of the 10-40 layered paper is treated with Q covering material. In flat applications (such as flat tray cards for salmon, cured meats etc.) do not the drawing and / or thermoforming phase is necessary. In this case the product of coating or covering material Q can also be applied in roll or in sheet form before the die-cutting stage. Treatment with Q covering material can be performed in two ways: 1) the Q covering material is applied on the laminated paper including 10-40 die-cut layers to create the flat development of the container or plate. The application of the Q covering material takes place on the external surfaces of the flat development of the container or plate; in particular the flat development is treated with the covering material Q by means of spreading rollers R to obtain the complete coverage and then we move on to drying; the treated flat development and once dried it is then drawn to make containers or plates; or 2) the Q covering material is applied on the laminated paper including 10-40 die-cut layers to create the flat development of the container or plate. The application of the Q covering material takes place on the external surfaces of the flat development of the container or plate; in particular the flat development is treated with the covering material Q by means of spreading rollers R to obtain the complete coverage; the treated and still wet flat surface is then drawn to make the containers or plates and then we move on to drying the container already deep-drawn. This second method facilitates the deep-drawing phase because the paper layered treated with Q covering material is more easily workable for make the drawing. The above description of embodiments of the invention is capable of show the invention from a conceptual point of view so that others, using the known technique, they will be able to modify and / or adapt these forms in various applications specific implementations without further research and without departing from the concept inventive and, therefore, it is intended that such adaptations and modifications will be considered as equivalents of the specific embodiments. The means and materials for carrying out the various functions described may be of various types. nature without thereby departing from the scope of invention. It is understood that the expressions or terminology used are purely for information purposes. descriptive and, therefore, non-limiting. Naturally, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the construction details and the forms of implementation may vary widely from what is described and illustrated purely by way of example, without thereby departing from the scope of this invention. Where the construction features and techniques mentioned in the following claims are followed by reference signs or numbers, such reference signs were introduced with the sole aim of increasing the intelligibility of the claims themselves and, consequently, they do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified, purely by way of example, from such reference signs.

Claims

1) A food container printed with patterns, images or writing colored, where the container is made of layered paper (10, 20, 30, 40) treated on at least one side with a covering material (Q) which after deposition and Drying creates a layer with glass-like properties on the layered paper that gives the property of impermeability to liquids, in which said layered paper (10, 20, 30, 40) comprises at least a first layer (10) made of parchment-type paper, in which on one side of the first layer of parchment paper (10) different images are printed patterns, images or writings with colored ink creating a second layer include colored ink (20), a third layer of glue (30) and a fourth layer made from a backing board (40) to provide strength, where the first layer of parchment paper (10) allows to create a functional barrier that blocks completely the migration of the colored ink present in the second layer (20) towards the outside, that is towards the food contained in the container, and in which such first layer of parchment paper (10) also allows to obtain transparency necessary to make the part printed with patterns, images or visible from the outside colored writings, where said container is made by die-cutting the paper layered treated to create the flat development of the container. 2) The container according to claim 1, wherein the container is made by drawing the flat development of the container made of layered paper treated and die-cut. 3) The container according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first layer of parchment paper (10) is chosen among the papers that have a 2 2 weight of 30 - 120 g / m and preferably 40 – 50 g / m. 4) The container according to any of the preceding claims, in where the colored inks are chosen from among the inks permitted for food use such as Direct Food Contact, DFC inks, and in particular in the SUN range CHEMICAL AQUASAFE DFC. 5) The container according to any of the preceding claims, in where said third layer of glue (30) is made with food glues, in particular with vinyl or acrylic glues. 6) The container according to any of the preceding claims, in of which the said reinforcement cardboard (40) is made of virgin paper of weight 2 2 between 100 and 600 g / m preferably between 200 and 400 g / m. 7) The container according to any of the preceding claims, in which is the covering material (Q) that is used to cover the laminated paper (10, 20, 30, 40) is a sol, i.e. a viscous solution containing silicon compounds which in the phases following the deposit on the layered paper (10, 20, 30, 40) give give rise to condensation reactions forming a three-dimensional network of bonds silicon-oxygen. 8) The container according to claim 7, wherein in the composition exact starting point for making the covering material (Q), some bonds silicon-oxygen bonds are replaced by bonds between silicon and other species such as groups alkyl. 9) The container according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, wherein the sol which makes the covering material (Q) is prepared by dispersing or dissolving in water or hydroalcoholic mixtures at least one alkyltrialkoxysilane and at least one second component chosen from micrometric silica and a tetraalkoxysilane, or both. 10) The container according to one of the preceding claims 7 to 9, in which in the treatment of the covering material (Q), once spread on the paper stratified (10, 20, 30, 40), the condensation reactions that lead to the formation of the glassy layer are made to occur by heating, at temperatures between 100 and 250 °C, preferably between 150 and 200 °C. 11) A process for making containers according to one or more more than the previous claims 1 to 10, wherein the covering material (Q) is applied on layered paper (10, 20, 30, 40) and die-cut to create the development container floor and the application of the covering material (Q) takes place on at least one side of the flat surface of the container or on all external surfaces of the flat development of the container, in which the flat development is treated with the covering material (Q) by means of spreading rollers (R), in which the flat development treated is dried at temperatures between 100 and 250 °C, preferably between 150 and 200 °C to create a layer with glass-like properties that It gives the property of impermeability to liquids. 12) The process according to claim 11, wherein the flat development Once dried, it is then drawn to create the shape of the container. 13) A process for making containers according to one or more more than the previous claims 1 to 10, wherein the covering material (Q) is applied on layered paper (10, 20, 30, 40) and die-cut to create the development container floor and the application of the covering material (Q) takes place on at least one side of the flat surface of the container or on all external surfaces of the flat development of the container, in which the flat development is treated with the covering material (Q) by means of spreading rollers (R), in which the flat development is thus treated with the covering material (Q) and still wet it is drawn for to create the shape of the container, in which the treated and drawn flat development is dried at temperatures between 100 and 250 °C, preferably between 150 and 200 °C to create a layer with glass-like properties which gives properties of impermeability to liquids. 14) A machine for making containers according to one or more of the previous claims 1 to 10, where there is an unwinding station of the layered paper roll (10, 20, 30, 40), a die-cutting station for realize the flat development of the container, a treatment station for the application of the covering material (Q) on at least one side of the flat development made from die-cut layered paper (10, 20, 30, 40), a station of heating at temperatures between 100 and 250 °C, preferably between 150 and 200°C to create a layer with glass-like properties on the treated laminated paper which It gives the property of impermeability to liquids. 15) A machine according to claim 14, wherein there is also present a drawing station to create the shape of the container. 16) A machine for making containers according to one or more of the previous claims 1 to 10, where there is an unwinding station of the layered paper roll (10, 20, 30, 40), a die-cutting station for realize the flat development of the container, a treatment station for the application of the covering material (Q) on the flat development created by the layered paper (10, 20, 30, 40) die-cut, a stamping station to make the shape of the container, and finally a heating station at temperatures between 100 and 250 °C, preferably between 150 and 200 °C to dry the covering material (Q) and create on the treated and drawn layered paper a layer with glassy properties that confers impermeability to liquids. 17) The machine for making containers according to the claims 14 to 16, wherein a treatment station is provided for the application of the covering material (Q) includes spreading rollers (R).