Mohawk Fine Papers, Inc., Cohoes, New York, a manufacturer of fine papers and envelopes, unveiled a portfolio of papers, Mohawk Renewal, made from rapidly renewable, sustainable fibers – namely hemp, straw and recycled cotton – in April of last year.

Mohawk’s engineers devised a process that allows the mill to create high-performance papers using rapidly renewable, new fibers. The alternative fibers Mohawk has chosen for its new line rely on waste from agriculture and garment manufacturing. By using scraps that would have otherwise been disposed of, Mohawk is reducing waste and pollution while creating something beautiful.

Now, the entire range of Mohawk Renewal Hemp, Mohawk Renewal Straw and Mohawk Renewal Recycled Cotton papers have been reviewed and found in compliance with United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requirements for use as an Indirect Food Additive (IFA), a designation for materials used in the handling, holding or packaging of food. This means that Renewal products are suitable for use in packaging and labeling applications that involve direct food contact.

Melissa Stevens, chief revenue officer at Mohawk, said this designation creates new opportunity for product packaging designers to use Mohawk Renewal label and packaging papers – from CBD and cannabis products to any CPG brands looking to amplify their sustainability messaging.

The hemp, straw and recycled cotton materials used in manufacture of Mohawk Renewal products are compliant under one or more of the following clearance criteria in Section 21 of the Federal Register:

• Part 176 – Indirect Food Additives – Paper and Paperboard Components
• Part 178 – Indirect Food Additives – Adjuvents, Production Aids and Sanitizers
• Part 182 – Substances Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS)

The hemp, straw and wood pulps that are used in Mohawk’s Renewal products are straight from field/forest-to-fiber without potential for contamination. Likewise, Renewal’s cotton pulps are produced from clean cotton clippings, a byproduct of the garment industry. Mohawk’s recycled pulp is sourced from a high-quality, deinked pulp mill that is producing FDA food-contact pulp.

All non-fiber additives used in the manufacture of Mohawk’s Renewal products have been reviewed and found compliant for use in the context of FDA IFA requirements. This includes not only dyes, product performance additives and processing aids, but materials that allow Mohawk to operate a clean process and shrink its ecological footprint by reusing water and reducing energy. Label and packaging end users are in the best position, and are responsible, to determine regulatory requirements for labels and packaging used in food applications.

For more information, visit www.mohawkconnects.com/mohawk-renewal.