I. Regulatory Compliance Requirements: Adherence to National and Industry Mandatory Standards

1. Compliance of Marked Content

• Food name, production date, shelf life, and production batch number;
• Producer’s name, address, and contact information;
• Ingredient list and nutritional information panel (if required);
• Storage conditions and consumption method (if required);
• For special foods (e.g., infant formula, health foods), additional labels such as approval numbers and suitable population groups must be included.

2. Adaptation to International Regulations (for Export Scenarios)

• EU: Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (FIC), which requires labeling of allergens, country of origin, and energy values;
• USA: FDA Food Labeling Guide, which specifies requirements for label font size and warning statement placement;
• Japan: Food Sanitation Act, which mandates labeling of "best-before date" ("shōmi kigen"), "production date" ("seizō nengetsu"), and the registration number of overseas manufacturers for imported foods.

3. Compliance of Marking Processes

II. Food Safety Requirements: Zero Contamination, Zero Risk

1. No Generation or Migration of Harmful Substances

• The principle of laser marking involves using light energy to act on the material surface (e.g., ablation, engraving, discoloration). The use of any auxiliary consumables such as inks, solvents, or ribbons (unlike traditional ink jet printers) is prohibited to prevent chemical substances from migrating into food;
• For food contact materials (e.g., plastic packaging, metal cans, glass bottle caps) used as marking objects, it must be ensured that the material itself does not decompose to release harmful substances (e.g., plasticizers, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds/VOCs) after laser treatment. Additionally, the marked area must be free of burrs or falling debris (to prevent physical contamination).

2. No Damage to the Sealing and Integrity of Food Packaging

• When marking sealed packaging (e.g., vacuum bags, cans), the laser power and focal length must be precisely controlled to prevent penetration of the packaging film/can body. This avoids packaging damage that could lead to food moisture absorption, oxidation, or microbial contamination;
• Example: When marking the surface of PET beverage bottles, it must be ensured that the laser only acts on the surface coating of the bottle, without damaging the bottle structure to prevent liquid leakage.

3. No Risk of Microbial Cross-Contamination

• Laser marking machines must be compatible with the clean environment requirements of food workshops (e.g., GMP workshops, aseptic workshops). The machine body should be made of easy-to-clean, corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel, with a smooth, gap-free surface to facilitate daily disinfection (e.g., alcohol wiping, high-temperature spraying);
• The marking area must be kept at a reasonable distance from the food processing area, or isolation covers and negative pressure systems should be used to prevent dust (e.g., paper scraps from marking paper packaging) from spreading to the food surface.

III. Marking Technology Requirements: Clarity, Durability, and Material Adaptability

1. Mark Clarity and Contrast

• Marked content must be free of blurriness or broken strokes, and the font size must comply with regulatory requirements (e.g., GB 7718 stipulates that the height of the "net content" font shall not be less than 3mm);
• For transparent materials (e.g., glass, PET film), laser "internal engraving" or surface modification (e.g., discoloration) must be used to improve contrast; for dark-colored materials (e.g., black PE bags), the "white marking" process (laser ablation to create white marks) can be adopted to ensure clarity.

2. Mark Durability

• Humid environments (e.g., refrigerated food): Marks must be waterproof to avoid blurriness when exposed to water;
• High-temperature environments (e.g., baked food, sterilization processes): Marks must be high-temperature resistant (usually required to withstand sterilization temperatures above 121°C);
• Friction/scratching (e.g., stacked transportation): Marks must be wear-resistant to prevent information loss due to abrasion during handling.

3. Material Adaptability

IV. Equipment and Process Adaptability Requirements: High Efficiency, Stability, and Easy Integration

1. High-Speed Marking and Production Line Synchronization

• The marking speed must match the production line speed (usually requiring 100-1000 pieces per minute, e.g., mineral water bottle production lines). The machine must support "flying marking" (dynamic marking without stopping) and achieve "precision positioning" (e.g., marking position deviation per bottle ≤ 0.1mm) through photoelectric sensors and encoders;
• The equipment must have quick changeover capabilities, supporting one-click switching of marking parameters (power, speed, focal length) for different products (e.g., food packaging of different specifications) to reduce production line downtime.

2. Equipment Stability and Failure Rate

• Food production mostly involves 24-hour continuous operations, so laser marking machines must have high reliability, with a Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) of ≥ 10,000 hours;
• Core components (e.g., lasers, galvanometers, cooling systems) must be industrial-grade products, and the equipment must be equipped with fault alarm functions (e.g., laser overheating, lens contamination alarms) to facilitate timely maintenance.

3. Automated Integration and Traceability Adaptability

• The machine must support connection with the automation systems of food production lines (e.g., PLC, MES systems) to synchronize marking data (e.g., production batch number, time) with the production system, facilitating quality traceability;
• It can integrate traceability marks such as QR codes, barcodes, and Data Matrix codes to achieve "one code per item" and meet food traceability requirements (e.g., consumers scanning codes to query production information).

V. Environmental and Operational Requirements: Low Pollution, Easy Maintenance

1. Environmental Protection Requirements

• When marking paper or wooden packaging, if a small amount of dust is generated, dust collection devices (e.g., small dust collectors) must be equipped to prevent dust from being discharged into the workshop or atmosphere;
• The use of materials containing heavy metals or toxic coatings for marking is prohibited to avoid the release of toxic gases after laser treatment.

2. Operational and Maintenance Requirements

• Operators must receive professional training and be familiar with equipment operating procedures to avoid safety accidents caused by incorrect parameter settings (e.g., excessive power leading to packaging damage);
• The equipment must be easy to maintain, with features such as quickly detachable and cleanable lenses, and automatic water replenishment for cooling systems (e.g., water chillers) to reduce maintenance difficulty and ensure continuous operation of the production line.

Summary