Food Product Labeling News

Want to Prevent Labeling Disaster? QC Tech Makes No Mistake

Got milk?

A label for one bread crumbs manufacturer did not. Last year, their simple labeling error failing to list “milk” as an ingredient led to nine Class I FDA recalls for more than 3.5 million pounds of food.

Make no mistake: When it comes to labeling, the stakes couldn’t be higher. You’re holding people’s lives in your hands, sometimes quite literally. The smallest labeling errors can quickly become breaking news nightmares on CNN.

And even beyond the FDA and criticality issues, labeling mistakes threaten the success of marketing campaigns and compliance. Shoddy labeling can deter a sale, as well as incur substantial fines from big box stores and online retailers.

It’s enough to keep any manufacturer up all night, whether you’re Chef Boyardee or a small craft brewery bottling IPAs in your basement.

Want to sleep great at night? Implement a system of quality control (QC). It’s practically melatonin for any manufacturer looking to destress. Detect a labeling error while the product’s still on the line and the adhesive’s still sticky and not overly aggressive. QC measures catch problems before they become exponentially expensive.

The 3 Primary Approaches to Quality Control

The good news is QC technology is prevalent, easy to use, and can integrate seamlessly to solve nearly any challenge presented by the most robust labeling systems. It only depends on how intricate an analysis you choose to implement, according to the criticality, expense, and complexity of the labeling production.

Essentially, there are three technological methods to ensure quality labeling: photoelectric sensors, ultraviolet detection, and visual camera inspection. Each of these can be integrated cooperatively together to assure reliable compliance.

Photoelectric Sensors use infrared light to analyze the contrast between the label and the background of the product to ensure the presence of a label.

Ultraviolet Detection uses electromagnetic radiation to detect the presence of ultraviolet responsive ink on a label. It is used to detect a label that does not have a contrast detectable by a photoelectric sensor, such as a white label on a white product.

Visual Camera Inspection takes a photo of a label to provide a deeper inspection into the quality of the label itself. As highly sophisticated QC, camera inspection can accept or reject according to acutely specific quality standards at accelerated cycle rates. It does more than just tell if a label is present – it can determine if the label is positioned correctly. It can evaluate text on a label, measure color coding as well as the accuracy of a barcode. It can read batch codes, lot numbers, or expiration dates. And yes, it can tell you if the label for a dairy related product accurately lists “milk” as an ingredient.

Yet even the best QC tech should always be used in conjunction with traditional manual inspection through spot checking. There is always the risk computers have been programmed incorrectly, or that sensors have been configured for the wrong setup. Despite the benefits of technology, there’s still nothing better than a set of eyes at the end of the line to guarantee a product is bonafide shelf worthy.

How to Strategize Priority in QC Integration

In any healthy relationship, communication is essential. To implement the best quality assurance, first find out what issues are most critical to the customers you supply. What are their biggest concerns, challenges, and priorities when it comes to accuracy and critical error? What are they looking for? What keeps them awake at night? Don’t just guess or assume what’s critical or a priority. Quantify concrete specifications to which the QC needs to conform through clear and open communication with the client who receives your product.

Next, take that information to your labeling distributor or supplier and pick their brain. At CTM Labeling Systems, we insist on reaching out to the companies who use our label applicators to determine what criticalities are at stake. Then we can sit down together and discuss what QC technologies should be implemented to ensure quality, accuracy, and compliance throughout the labeling process.

Perfect Labeling Evolving in the Flow of Continuity

When it comes to labeling systems, everything is on the line, both literally and figuratively. The criticality of immediately identifying errors cannot be overstated. QC technology provides efficient and comprehensive tools to ensure the integrity of labeling productions. Nevertheless, manual human inspection continues to be an essential cog in any quality assurance integration.

Naturally, as companies grow and evolve, so do their labeling systems and their needs for QC. Say you start out as a small brewery hand-labeling bottles in the family garage. As business improves and expands, your labeling needs grow conjunctively, as do concerns for accuracy against critical error. Rather than simply adding on new features and QC measures, it is often best to start fresh with a new labeling and QC system that can better handle this new stage of evolution. Talk to your labeling systems provider about what options might suit you best.

In the end, you can achieve a robust labeling and QC system that meets your needs and identifies critical errors right on the production belt. The FDA never knocks on your door. Nobody gets sick or poisoned. CNN calls someone else. Life continues to flow smoothly like the beltway of product continuously streaming off your manufacturing line, every package labeled correctly and ready for the shelf.

They can quote larger and more valuable opportunities and accept more projects.

Want to learn more about how to get the most out of your next labeling project? Check out CTM Labeling Systems’ FREE GUIDE, “The Secret to Planning a Labeling System.”

Guest Post By Ed Schneider | July 16, 2018

Ed Schneider is the Director of Sales and Marketing for CTM Labeling Systems — a leading manufacturer of pressure sensitive labeling systems located in Salem, Ohio. He has held this role for over 10 years.

Prior to joining the team at CTM, Ed spent 22 years with a major plumbing manufacturer in Salem, Ohio where he held various positions during his professional development, ultimately holding the position of Plant Manager for 7 years prior to his departure and current position held at CTM.

Ed earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Malone University in Canton, Ohio where he received his degree in Business Management. Ed currently resides in Columbiana, Ohio with his wife Cindy.

How To Make Labels For Bottles

Making bottle labels can be easy and fun. Whether printing yourself or buying from a printer, any bottle label will need to be determined by a few important factors:

Determine your quantity needs and production schedule
Choose a size label to fit your bottle and design
Pick a label material for your bottle’s use requirements
Determine your label type: rolls, sheets, or cut-to-size
Printing your labels or buying custom labels printed

Understanding Quantity Needs For Ordering

Knowing your quantity requirements is one of the main ingredients to putting together a solid purchasing plan to keep your costs efficient and your output on schedule. Bulk ordering can significantly lower production costs and save you time and money, but over ordering can also leave you with unusable inventory when certain products become obsolete, updated or require new designs.

Be careful to understand dynamic market forces and how they can affect your purchasing. You may print in house with an inkjet printer and soon learn that a laser printer is much easier for your increased volume demand, or you may choose a printed roll label for label applicator and later find that you need a larger production applicator that requires a different direction of label placement.

Choosing a Label Size & Shape

Label sizes can be found in a wide range of stocked sizes and shapes, and custom sizes or shapes may be made easily with new tooling to match your exact need. Its typically easy to find a size that is already stocked or for which tooling has been made.

Shapes can include square, rectangle, circle, oval, triangle or any custom die cutout to match our logo or design ploy. Some standard unique shapes include starburst, diamond & heart shapes that are readily available off the shelf or through a digital printing setup.

Bottle Label Material Options

Some of the widely used bottle labels include bopp, paper, or finished materials, and most of these options include gloss or matte laminate options depending on the process you choose. Obviously if you are using a label for an oil bottle or a refrigerated product, you’ll want something waterproof or resistant to the climate for the life of the label’s usage.

Paper labels are a great way to save money for products that don’t need the overkill of vinyl or bopp. A nice laminate or finished paper label can bring out an amazing appearance to your design and be the perfect solution for a professional product appearance that won’t destroy your profit margin.

Blank label materials can sometimes work on both laser or inkjet printers, but often you’ll find specific labels for laser printing or inkjet printing. Make sure you find the right material for your printing method if printing yourself, and make note that the ink from these printers will have a different look to your design – they are not always interchangeable when considering your brand consistency.

Label Type Options For Your Bottles

Determining the type of label will come back to a few factors such as knowing your volume, size & shape, and application requirements. Labels are typically available on sheets, rolls or cut to size. If you’re buying blank bottle labels, you’ll likely be purchasing sheets to be fed in your injket or laser printer. You can also buy custom printed bottle labels at great prices on lower volumes for most hand applied bottle labels, and another great option for hand applying is printed cut-to-size labels.

Custom roll labels are great for higher volumes, usually over 500 labels minimum, depending on the label size, and these labels come in variable layouts for either hand or machine applicator requirements. Roll labels form digital UV printers offer a wide variety of materials as well as laminating options for extra sheen and protection against the elements.

Printing Yourself or Buying Printed Labels

Printing labels on your printer can be easy and rewarding, as well as cost effective. You also have to consider factors such as time, ink costs, and artwork setup requirements that can be a setback to self printing. Purchasing custom labels is often a great way to take the burden off the process and even save money at any volume of label requirements.

Soil Grown Organic Labels Coming Soon – ‘True Organic’

Is a tomato a tom-ah-toe? Growing concerns by organic soil farmers and consumers have shed more light on the agriculture industry’s methods of growing organic produce as the market has seen a proliferation of hydroponically grown organics over the years. The question of the authenticity that hydro-organic farming brings to the table has led a soil grown movement, which has conceived the idea to add a specific label to let consumers know whether the food was grown in organically in soil or not.

Soil vs Hydroponic Grown

What’s the difference? Hydroponic produce tends to produce big, watery fruit, that lacks the nutrients found in soil grown, and some hydro farms take advantage of artificial light to bypass the need for the sunny side of the hill. Critics site that nothing can take the place of rich, black, worm wriggling organic soil that produces high brix plants, favored by animals and health savvy consumers alike.

High Brix Produce Tastes Better

There are many advantages to high brix produce. It’s resistant to disease, insects, and rot, which means longer shelf life and more beautiful looking produce. Also, high brix means more flavor. A sweeter, riper produce will have a higher mineral density, so more flavor means more preference to be eaten over foods grown with higher water content and less flavor.

They Meet

Not pac man and ms. pac man, but what’s been called a ‘rebellious’ group of farmers from around the US who gathered in Vermont recently to help create a new standard for additional organic certification. Under the current USDA program, organic simply means your produce has been grown without synthetic substances. and without synthetically engineered methods. The new certification process would require an inspector to certify the soil grown organic farm to be compliant.

This new system will roll out to an estimated 50 farms across the country in the summer of 2018, with a good possibility of more farms jumping on ship quickly. The concept, to separate their crops from what some consider a cheaper method of farming that could put the soil grown organic produce in a pickle, considering the higher sales prices that can’t always compete with the hydro grown efficiency.

The hydro farming industry has argued on the other side that this label might provide an unfair advantage and that it might be misleading to consumers. In either case, the new labels project will move ahead, and the organic food markets will have the option to purchase whatever version of organic produce makes the most sense.

Three Things to Know About Labeling Lactose-Free Products

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NIH), around 65 percent of the human population has a difficulty digesting lactose products after infancy. While certain people with lactose intolerance are unable to consume any dairy products containing lactose, others can consume certain products such as yogurt or cheese with no problem. Fortunately, FDA labels are clearly labelled to inform consumers about lactose-containing products, to help shoppers make the wisest food choices.

However, there are many rules and regulations to follow when labelling dairy or lactose-containing products, and Lactose Intolerance Awareness Month is the perfect time to educate yourself to ensure that you’re following all the rules.

Lactose-Free FDA Labels

Since lactose intolerance is not an actual allergy (like a milk, egg, or wheat allergy), there is no FDA definition for lactose-free. However, manufacturers must always be truthful with their ingredients and if a product contains lactose, they must say so on the product label. According to the FDA, lactose-free products mustn’t contain any lactose at all, and reduced lactose products must be labelled as reduced lactose and not lactose-free.

However, even when lactose is removed from a product, the milk protein will still be present. If a product contains ingredients such as milk, evaporated milk, cream, condensed milk, margarine, whey, cheese, curds, and milk solids, lactose is likely still present in the product.

Lactose-Free Is Not Dairy-Free

Since lactose-free and dairy-free are not the same thing (since lactose intolerance is not the same as a dairy allergy), many lactose-free products contain dairy, even if they do not contain lactose. Unless a product is labelled as dairy-free, it can still contain milk protein, under FDA guidelines. However, many dairy-free products still contain casein, which is a milk derivative.

To make FDA labels easier to read for highly sensitive consumers or individuals following dairy-free or vegan diets, it is important to clearly label product labels and to list all ingredients used, even if only a small amount of dairy, lactose, or casein are present in the product.

What to Include on FDA Labels

Now that we know the differences between lactose-free, dairy-free, and completely milk-free, we can discuss the labelling guidelines for lactose-free products. Manufacturers must include the following when labelling lactose-free products:

A list of all ingredients used, in descending order, in order of percentage and total weight. For example, the chief ingredient should be listed at the top of the ingredient list.
All food additives must also be listed, including food coloring, preservatives, and emulsifiers.
If present in the product, any of the 14 common food allergens must be listed. For example, several common food allergens are milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, walnuts, and almonds. Common food allergens must be bolded or highlighted in a way that they stand out above the other ingredients.

Labelling lactose-free products doesn’t have to be a hassle, and SheetLabels.com can make the process as easy as possible. View our high-quality milk labels, cheese labels, food product labels, or allergy labels, and contact us today to learn more. Lactose Intolerance Awareness Month is the perfect time to update your product labels to ensure that they meet FDA standards and customer satisfaction.

Create Food Labels that Consumers Can Trust

create trustworthy labels

In 2017, customers are getting savvier and savvier about the ways they spend the money in their wallets and the foods they put into their mouths. Even though FDA labels are meant to inform consumers about the nutritional value of a food item, they are often not clear enough for many consumers to deem them trustworthy.

It’s no secret that food manufacturers sometimes lie and mislead consumers to get them to purchase a less-than-perfect food product. But in 2017, customers are getting savvier and savvier about the ways they spend the money in their wallets and the foods they put into their mouths. Even though FDA labels are meant to inform consumers about the nutritional value of a food item, they are often not clear enough for many consumers to deem them trustworthy.

Throughout this article, we’ll talk about what makes clear and concise food labels that customers can really trust.

Get Real About Serving Sizes

First of all, FDA labels tend to throw shoppers for a loop when it comes to determining the safety and health benefits of a product, mainly because serving sizes are so unrealistic. While the sugar, fat, or calorie content may seem low at first glance, it’s often unrealistic that the product would be consumed in that small of amount—so in reality, the actual fat, sugar, and calorie content is much higher.

Instead, be honest and upfront about serving sizes. Customers will either care that the sugar content is higher than they expected or they won’t—but ultimately, they’ll appreciate the transparency from your company.

Don’t Throw Around the Words Organic, Natural, or Grass-Fed

All natural, organic, cage-free, and grass-fed products are all the hype right now. However, throwing those words around carelessly may have the opposite effect on shoppers if the words aren’t used correctly. Plus, shoppers are now realizing the real definitions of organic, natural, grass-fed, or cage-free, and brands will have a harder time misleading them or tricking them into purchasing something that doesn’t stay true to its claims.

Understand FDA Labels and Food Regulations

While there are no real regulations when it comes to labelling products as natural or all-natural, consumers generally only want brands to use these terms if they mean it. If a product doesn’t contain any artificial colors, flavors, or synthetic additives, it’s probably safe to say it’s all-natural. However, it’s difficult for companies to label anything as all-natural if there is any sort of processing involved.

To ensure that your company is staying on top of the most recent FDA labels and regulations, be sure to visit the FDA’s website for updated information.

Effective Colors for Label Design

The Psychology of Color

The psychology of color plays an essential role in the way that products are viewed by consumers. What does this mean? Marketers need to take the time to understand the importance and impact of color when it comes to labeling and brand identity. A brands impact on consumers can be heavily swayed by color, font, and calls to action on a products labels.

There are other important elements to consider when you are choosing your label materials, and one of them is matching the colors used on the label to the actual package design. You do not want your label to clash with the packaging, so choosing the best colors that look good together is a factor.

Colors and Influence

Red

One of the boldest colors to use in your label design is red. It can help your product stand out when sitting next to competitors products. Red is associated with impulse buying, excitement, and warmth.

Blue

Blue is associated with trust and reliability, as well as feelings of calmness and security. This makes it another one of the more popular colors to be used in different types of design. Blue is also the color that is commonly preferred by men.

Orange

Orange is said to create feelings of warmth and vitality, and is also tied to excitement and adventure. It is an energetic color, which is why it invokes positive, warm emotions.

Green

These days green is often associated with the environment and eco-friendly products, and many people that energy conscious are attracted to the color. Green is also associated with feelings of good luck and tranquility. Green is thought to relieve stress and can create a calming effect for consumers.

White

White is another popular color because of its simplicity and it will match well with any other color. It represents purity, cleanliness, and simplicity.

Yellow

Yellow is the most attention grabbing color that there is, this is because it is the most visible color when used for design. It is associated with cheerful and warm emotions. It is important to not over use yellow in design, because too much of it can have a negative impact because it causes fatigue to the eyes.

Brown

Brown is another color that is often associated with natural products, and it can create feelings of comfort and security.

Other Factors to Remember

Actual Package Color (or product color if clear)

When choosing colors for your label printing you need to make sure that the colors you choose will be compatible with the actual package color. If the packaging that your brand is clear then you need to make sure that the label colors are compatible with the color of the actual product.

Fonts/Legibility

The font is another element that needs to be considered. It should be an easy to read font, and it should also be big enough so people are not straining their eyes to read it. Legibility is a very important factor in all different areas of design, because if people cannot read the product label, they most likely will not buy it.

Things to Know About Labeling Food Allergens

Millions of Americans are affected by food allergens—some severe and some minor. Many food allergens are not life-threatening, but others are. For this reason, congress made the decision to pass the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) in 2004, which requires businesses to label domestic and imported products that contain any protein derived from the eight most common food allergens.

The FALCPA requires that brands customize labels to include any of the eight common food allergens, including milk, fish, eggs, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soybeans, and wheat. These eights foods in addition to any protein derived from them, are all considered “major food allergens” and should be labeled properly for the safety of your customers.

How to Label Food Allergens

If you sell a product that contains any of these eight food allergens, you are required by law to label them a certain way. Companies should customize labels to include the name of the actual ingredient (such as buttermilk or lecithin) in addition to its common allergen (milk or soy).

If your product contains milk products, you have a couple of different labeling options. You can either list the ingredients with the allergen next to it in parenthesis, or you can include a warning at the bottom of the list of ingredients. For example:

Lecithin (soy), whey (milk), casein (milk), flour (wheat)

Contains soy, milk, or wheat

Consumers May be Allergic to Other Ingredients

These days, there is a growing number of food intolerances and allergies that are not included under the FALCPA. Less common food allergens include red meat, avocados, sesame seeds, marshmallows (or gelatin sensitivity), corn, mango, dried fruit, or hot dogs.

The FDA does not regulate poultry, most meats, certain egg products, or most alcoholic beverages, so consumers must use their own discretion before eating or drinking an item; however, brands should do their best to inform their customers of any potential food allergens or worrisome ingredients.

Complete a Certification Program

To simplify things for your customers, you may also wish to take labeling one step further. Due to the rise in gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free diets, many companies are becoming certified so they can include seals on their product labels that show they are certified gluten-free, dairy-free, or soy-free. When you customize labels to include seals, you can save shoppers the hassle of reading each and every ingredient on your label.

Even though many customers will continue to read each and every ingredient to ensure that a product is safe for them to consume, seals can provide customers with peace of mind knowing that the product is completely free of food allergens or intolerances. Popular certification programs include Certified Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free Certification Program, Canadian Celiac Association, and Certified Vegan.

4 Reasons Why Consumers Want Compostable Packaging

More and more consumers are seeking compostable packaging and sustainable product label printing options for a variety of reasons. In fact, biodegradable packaging only continues to grow in order to meet the needs of customer demands.

Brands like San Francisco Bay Coffee and Oakland Coffee Works are even selling compostable single serving pods and coffee bags, and other brands are finding creative ways to reduce waste as well.

With a growing consumer demand for compostable products, more companies are developing earth-friendly packaging to satisfy their customers and to better the world as a whole.

Compostable Packaging Defined

There are many misconceptions out there about compostable packaging. Let’s clear up those misconceptions before we talk about the benefits of compostable packaging and why more and more consumers are drawn to compostable packaging and product label printing.

Compostable products are defined as biodegradable and non-toxic. They break down into water, biomass, and carbon dioxide within 90 to 180 days of disposal. In addition to their ability to completely break down, they also disintegrate into the compost with nothing left behind. So, not only is composting safer to human and environmental health, but it basically leaves behind no negative effects whatsoever.

But, why do consumers care about compostable packaging so much? We’re here to tell you!

A Smaller Carbon Footprint

Packaging isn’t always about the customer; in fact, many shoppers care about compostable packaging simply because it’s environmentally-friendly, rather than it being convenient for them to use.

Eco-friendly product packaging is often made from recycled, biodegradable materials that help to reduce waste during production. Manufacturing is usually more efficient to minimize negative impact.

It’s Versatile

Compostable packaging is often more versatile than regular packaging. Sure, compostable packaging is beneficial to the environment from start to finish, but consumers can usually find more than one way to reuse the package after it’s contents are gone.

Customers Don’t Like Waste

One of the most important reasons that customers prefer compostable packaging is because there’s absolutely no waste involved on their part. Nobody wants to waste any type of product, and buyers often look at companies negatively if they’re forced to throw a product away rather than recycle or reuse it.

It’s Hip

These days, it’s hip to compost and use environmentally-friendly products. Long gone are the days of teasing hippies and littering just for the heck of it. Nowadays, it’s cool to reduce, reuse, and recycle, and more and more people are jumping on the bandwagon.

Try Eco-Friendly Product Labels

Customers clearly want to see more companies using compostable or recyclable materials, so it makes sense that they’d want to see sustainable product label printing options, too.

Fortunately, SheetLabels.com offers two great options for eco-friendly labels, including our 100 Percent Recycled White Uncoated labels for inkjet and laser printers, and our Brown Kraft labels for inkjet or laser printers. Both are excellent high-quality options for any of your eco-friendly labelling needs.

To learn more about the products and services we offer, please contact us today!

The Benefits Of Labeling Your Products As Gluten Free Or Vegan

Looking for a way to boost appeal and sales of your product? Proper research and labeling could help you do just that! If you have a gluten free or vegan products, it’s incredibly important and valuable that it is labeled as such.

In 2016, according to Google Trends there was a 90% boost in ‘vegan’ searches, and the gluten free market in the expected to be valued at 7.9 billion US dollars by 2020. With sales growth opportunities in these two industries as strong as they are, you’re missing out on a massive market if your products meet the requirements but aren’t being marketed to those audiences.

Not sure if your product makes the cut? You can find the definition of gluten free here, as well as information about vegan certification here, and determine if either of those match your product. Once you’ve determined qualification, simply incorporate the logo identifying your product as gluten free or vegan into your product labeling.

If you need help incorporating the identifiers into your labels, we’re always happy to help you at SheetLabels.com!

The Importance Of Waterproof Labels

When it comes to waterproof labels, quality matters. After all, any product that you’re using them for needs to be able to withstand the moisture or liquid conditions that they encounter. When you use cheap waterproof labels and cut corners on quality, you could be left with labels that fade quickly and don’t last, leaving you with unlabeled products.

If these labels are for internal uses, then you’ll be missing valuable information with their damage. Even worse, if these labels are intended for consumer product use such as cosmetics or soaps, then your product will look disheveled and unprofessional with labels that don’t last. When considering what labels to use on your products, these two factors could help you make the right choice, and find waterproof labels that will suit your needs.

Adhesive Material

There are several different types of adhesive material available to choose from for waterproof labels, and it’s important that you pick the one that best suits your needs. If you choose an adhesive that is not strong enough to withstand the weather or wet environment, then the labels will quickly peel away, leaving a bare product behind. With our waterproof labels, we use either high-tack adhesive or permanent adhesive, which can stand the test of any environment and will help your product’s packaging last even longer.

External Protective Coating

Another factor to consider with choosing proper waterproof labels is the external protective coating, and material of the actual label itself. For example, if you put kraft paper labels on a shampoo bottle, there is no way that it will last more than a few uses before getting completely destroyed. If, however, you instead use a white polyester or vinyl material with a strong and durable protective coating, the exterior of your product’s labeling is significantly more likely to stand up to the job.

If you’re still unsure which waterproof labels would best suit your needs, we offer samples to test out so that you can determine exactly which labels will do the best job for your application.