Barrier coatings are a critical enabler of safe, high-performance, and sustainable food contact packaging. Demand for barrier coatings in food contact packaging is growing as brands and regulators seek to protect food safety and shelf life while reducing reliance on plastics and PFAS.
Barrier coatings enable fibre-based and lightweight packaging to resist moisture, oxygen, grease, and contamination, supporting recyclability and circular economy goals. At the same time, stricter food-contact regulations, sustainability commitments, and the growth of convenience and takeaway foods are driving the need for high-performance, compliant, and future-proof packaging solutions.
This event focuses on barrier coatings for food contact packaging with emphasis on plastic and paper. This event will be exploring raw materials, barrier performance and innovations, compliance, recycling and sustainability as well as key processing and technology updates. Food contact packaging issues will also be discussed in relation to testing, regulation and compliance.
Why you should attend:
This conference brings together industry experts across the value chain to explore the latest innovations, regulations, and sustainable solutions in barrier coatings. Attendees will gain practical insights, expert guidance, and real-world case studies to help them design, produce, and implement safe, high-performance, and future-proof food contact packaging.
This conference is the perfect platform for attendees and speakers to exchange ideas, explore opportunities, and network with key players across the supply chain.
Who should attend?
Janet Preston has worked in IMERYS Minerals for over 30 years in the areas of
coatings and minerals research, including paper coating, paper filling, paints and inks
and in printing science.
Whilst working at Imerys Janet graduated from University of Plymouth with an
honours degree in Applied Chemistry. She then gained a PhD in Chemistry with the
Interface Analysis Centre, University of Bristol, where she studied ink and coated
paper interactions. Janet has around 100 publications in this area. She is currently a
senior technical support specialist & scientist in the company’s Paper & Board group
and is working in the area of paper, board, pulp & printing.
In 2007 Janet was appointed as an Adjunct Professor (Docent) at Abo Akademi
University in Finland. She is a Chartered Chemist & Member of the Royal Society of
Chemistry.
Alexey Vishtal is working at Capsul’in Pro as a Head of Cellulose development and focusing on bringing home-compostable pulp-based solutions for single-serve beverage systems to the market. He has more than 15 years of experience in various roles in FMCG, material and process development with a focus on packaging sustainability. His core abilities lie in the bringing novel innovative packaging concepts into industrial use, from idea conceptualization to CAPEX and operational excellence. He also has strong academic background in paper physics, barrier coatings, and packaging converting where he authored more than 20 peer-reviewed papers and hold 10+ international patents
Dr George Kellie is chairman of KellieTechnologies™, a leading UK marketing and technology company. Dr Kellie’s businesses have been in existence for nearly 20 years and have a strong reputation and expertise in composites nonwovens, plastics, and sustainability strategies.
In the field of nonwovens materials, KellieTechnologies™ has been particularly active, working on specific applications and generating detailed market assessment and new concepts. Recent work has included submissions on nanotechnology to the UK House of Lords Science & Technology Committee.
George is the editor of “Advances in Technical Nonwovens, 1st Edition” published by Elsevier.
In the packaging field, Kellie Solutions have been very active in areas such as biodegradable and “plastics free” packaging as well as the development of advanced recyclable barrier coatings
George Kellie has also published a series of ground-breaking reviews on Nonwovens in Packaging.
Dr Martin Klatt, PhD, has been a chemist with BASF since 1995. In his current role he is REACh Coordinator and Global Registration Coordinator of the Operating Division Dispersions and Resins.
He has held multiple advocacy activities including President of dispersion producer’s association Europe (EPDLA), President of UVEB curable resins Europe (UVEB), Member of Board of ALIPA, Chair of Radtech HSE Committee (Radtech = Radiation curing technology value chain), Chair of Deutsche Bauchemie AK 6.10 “Polymere”, and Member of CARACAL Subgroup Polymers
Martti Toivakka is currently a full professor and head of the Laboratory of Paper Coating and Converting at Åbo Akademi University, Finland (www.abo.fi/lpcc). He received his doctoral degree in chemical engineering in the area of paper chemistry in 1998. His research group is a member of the Academy of Finland appointed Center of Excellence for Functional Materials, which develops functional materials and demonstrates devices for printed intelligence. His research interests include novel coating and surface treatment methods for natural fiber-based products, printing as a fabrication method and use of paper as a substrate for printed electronics. He has (co-)authored over 140 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is currently the guest editor of Chemical Engineering and Processing – special issue of Coating and Drying of Thin Films. He has organized and been the chairman of 2006 TAPPI Advanced Coating Fundamentals Symposium and the 2011 European Coating Symposium, both held in Turku, Finland. Furthermore, he has arranged numerous international short courses for industrial professionals and doctoral level students, the recent ones being Coating and Drying of Thin Films – Fundamentals & Applications with a Special Topic on Printed and Organic Electronics in 2011, Pigment Coating Technology in 2012, and Advanced Printing Technology in 2014.
Alistair is a subject matter expert in the Food Contact Safety Team at Smithers. This involves advising clients on the safety legislation which applies to food packaging in a wide range of different countries throughout the world and coordinating work programmes to ensure that clients' products meet these requirements.
His expertise spans all the EU countries, USA, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Israel, Russia and South America.
