Toyo Ink Europe stays ahead of the GIO with regulation-ready UV inks

As the European packaging sector braces for the full enforcement of the German Printing Ink Ordinance (GIO) in 2027, Toyo Ink Europe has moved to secure an early-adopter advantage by rolling out a complete, food-safe UV and LED curable ink line-up.

The Niel-based division of Japan’s artience Group announced that its portfolio — spanning UV flexographic and UV offset inks — has successfully completed a year of rigorous testing. The result is a suite of low-migration, low-odour solutions that meet strict safety benchmarks without sacrificing press speed or substrate versatility.

While the mandatory GIO enforcement date is set for January 2027, Toyo Ink Europe has opted for a “compliance-first” strategy. Its GIO-compliant UV flexo systems originally hit the market in mid-2025, followed by a UV offset rollout at Labelexpo Europe.

“To achieve these early breakthroughs, our analytical and regulatory teams collaborated closely with five different developmental partners,” says Ismail Yilmaz, general manager sales & corporate strategy at Toyo Ink Europe. “We feel well-positioned to support converters in making an early transition to print compliantly and in gaining a competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving market.”

The new portfolio is designed to bridge the gap between high-performance industrial printing and the delicate requirements of food-safe packaging.

• UV Flexo (Steraflex UV): engineered for high colour strength and fast curing. It is compatible with both non-absorbent substrates (PE, PP, PET) and absorbent materials like paper and board.
• LED Flexo (Steraflex GIO LED): a low-energy solution that offers minimal odour and consistent vibrant results, specifically optimised for energy-efficient LED-UV presses.
• UV Offset (Steraboard & Steraplast UV): tailored for paper and board, these inks combine high gloss and strong adhesion with the low-migration profiles required for secondary food packaging.
• LED Offset (EkoPro LED): formerly known as the LED Offset Food series, this range has been rebranded to reinforce its position as a GIO-compliant offset solution.

For food brand owners and packaging converters, the move by Toyo Ink Europe addresses a growing anxiety regarding the “regulatory patchwork” of Europe. By meeting the GIO standards — often considered the most stringent in the world — Toyo is effectively de-risking the supply chain for brands that export across the Eurozone.