Latex allergens have been a topic of concern in many packaging industries, but specifically the pharmaceutical industry since the early 1990s.
Latex allergies cause a reaction to certain proteins found in natural rubber latex, a product made from the rubber tree. If you have a latex allergy, your body mistakes latex for a harmful substance. A latex allergy may cause itchy skin and hives or even anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening condition that can cause throat swelling and severe difficulty breathing.
How is Latex used in the pharmaceutical industry?
Often times you will find latex adhesives being used on the booklets in medical packaging. These booklets (oftentimes safety instructions) are referred to as inserts if being placed on the inside of a carton or container and outserts if they are affixed to the exterior of containers. Using a latex adhesive allows the end-user of a pharmaceutical product to open and close the booklet, essentially resealing the booklet for later use.
What Is Latex?
The exact cause of latex allergy is unknown, but repeated exposure or contact with latex and rubber products is thought to trigger symptoms and can cause an allergic reaction. Some people have allergic reactions by breathing in latex fibers in the air. Some people have allergic reactions from skin contact with latex.
Latex is in many everyday products:
- Latex Adhesives
- Balloons
- Rubber bands
- Rubber household gloves
- Rubber balls
- Bandages
- And more
To overcome these concerns, Capital Adhesives has developed non-latex synthetic adhesive products specifically for the pharmaceutical packaging industry. By using a non-latex synthetic formulation, pharmaceutical manufacturers can reduce concerns for the end-user regarding risk from allergic reactions to the drug product packaging.
