Film packaging having tamper-evident means

Abstract

Flow-wrap packaging having a longitudinal sealed seam and two transverse sealed seams, at least the longitudinal sealed seam being spaced apart from the associated longitudinal edge of the packaging, wherein a device for indicating whether the packaging has already been opened (seal guarantee) is arranged at at least one point between the longitudinal sealed seam and the longitudinal edge, that is to say at at least one point on the longitudinal edge strips of the packaging defined by the longitudinal sealed seam and the longitudinal edge.

1 . A packaging selected from the group consisting of film packaging and flow-wrap film packaging, said packaging having a longitudinal sealed seam and two transverse sealed seams, at least the said longitudinal sealed seam being spaced apart from an associated longitudinal edge of the packaging, wherein: at at least one point between said longitudinal sealed seam and said longitudinal edge, so that at at least one point on longitudinal edge strips of the packaging defined by said longitudinal sealed seam and said longitudinal edge, there is arranged a device for indicating whether the packaging has already been opened,
 wherein said device for indicating whether the packaging has already been opened is formed by a tag selected from the group consisting of a non-restickable adhesive tag, and a non-restickable cold-seal adhesive tag, on the inner side of one of two longitudinal edge strips and, associated therewith, a color marking on the inner side of the other, or opposite, longitudinal edge strip, wherein, on detachment of the adhesive tag from the colour marking, colorant remains visibly adhering to said adhesive tag.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging according to  claim 1 , wherein: said colorant is applied to an adhesive side of a film and/or film laminate forming the film packaging. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging according to  claim 1 , wherein said colorant is applied by intaglio printing. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging according to  claim 1 , wherein: said packaging consists of a square or rectangular film blank to one side of the which there has been applied a cold-seal adhesive in the form of a square or rectangular frame, first two opposing cold-seal adhesive strips being located directly along corresponding edges of said packaging film blank and the other two opposing cold-seal adhesive strips being spaced apart by spacings, selected from the group consisting of the same spacings and different spacings, from the associated edges of the packaging film blank. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging according to  claim 1 , wherein: said device for indicating whether the packaging has already been opened is defined by an adhesion or sealing point, the sealing point being bounded by tear-lines at least on one of the said two longitudinal edge strips so that when the packaging is opened for the first time a correspondingly bounded edge strip portion is visibly separated together with the sealing point. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging according to  claim 1 , wherein: the cold-seal adhesive is an adhesive produced on the basis of a water-based styrene-acrylate dispersion and, at least in the region of the longitudinal sealed seam, is capable of being restuck by a number of times selected from the group consisting of at least three times and up to 10 to 15 times, without the closure strength being appreciably affected (so that still having at least 50% to 80% of the preceding closure strength). 
     
     
         7 . The packaging according to  claim 1 , wherein: the initial closure strength of the cold-seal adhesive is in a range selected from the group consisting of from 3.2 N/15 mm to 2.5 N/15 mm, from 3.0 N/15 mm to 2.65 N/15 mm and from 2.75 N/15 mm to 2.85 N/15 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging according to  claim 1 , wherein: the adhesion of the colorant to the film is lower than the adhesion of the colorant to the cold-seal adhesive, the adhesive strength of the colorant to the film tending towards 0 N/15 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging according to  claim 1 , wherein: said packaging is such that when said packaging is opened, in the region of an adhesive tag a cold-seal adhesive/colorant bond is broken and in the remaining region of the packaging a cold-seal adhesive/cold-seal adhesive bond is broken. 
     
     
         10 . A method of rendering packaging tamper evident, comprising providing packaging having a longitudinal sealed seam and two transverse sealed seams, at least the said longitudinal sealed seam being spaced apart from an associated longitudinal edge of the packaging, and providing at least one point between said longitudinal sealed seam and said longitudinal edge, so that at least one point on longitudinal edge strips of the packaging defined by said longitudinal sealed seam and said longitudinal edge, a device for indicating whether the packaging has been opened, wherein said device for indicating whether the packaging has been opened is formed by a tag selected from the group consisting of a non-restickable adhesive tag, and a non-restickable cold-seal adhesive tag, on the inner side of one of two longitudinal edge strips and, associated therewith, a color marking on the inner side of the other, or opposite, longitudinal edge strip, wherein, on detachment of the adhesive tag from the color marking, colorant remains visibly adhering to said adhesive tag.