For food and beverage manufacturers, safety isn’t just about the ingredient inside the package, but also the materials that hold it together. Food-grade glues play a critical role in keeping products secure, labeled, and ready for distribution. A carefully selected glue will also help minimize interruptions on the packaging line to reduce bottlenecks. These adhesives are held to strict safety standards designed to protect consumers and prevent potential health risks.

Winter is here, and with it come frigid temperatures that can impact more than just your heating bill—it can also affect your glue. Whether you’re working with liquid water-based adhesives or gelatin glue, cold weather can significantly alter their performance and, in turn, your production efficiency.

Let’s explore how cold weather affects these types of adhesive, why proper handling is essential, and how to mitigate production issues during winter. For additional tips on how to apply glue and transport it during the colder months, check out Glue Application and Storage Tips for Winter.

Just like with most natural products, glues have an expiration date.  You'll notice, especially with your natural glues (protein/gelatin based) and liquid water-based glues, that after they have hit their expiration date they may become moldy and unusable.

What do you do if your glue is expired?

What holds the world together? Glue.

Industrial adhesives are the sticky backbone of thousands of companies across a variety of industries, including woodworking, packaging, graphics arts, manufacturing, and more. Depending on what you’re trying to stick together, your choice of glue matters!