When you go grocery shopping, your eye is instantly drawn to well-designed labels that stand out from the rest on crowded shelves. As a conscious consumer, your decision to buy that product may change if you don’t find the information you are looking for on the label. Food labels are vital in the fiercely competitive food industry with strict legal requirements and consumers who increasingly want to know what they eat. Read on to know why labeling your food products is important and how labels can help your product perform better in the marketplace.
You Meet Legal Requirements
Health Canada regulates the labeling of food products according to the Food and Drugs Act in Canada. Nutrition labeling, for example, is mandatory on most prepackaged foods as is the ingredients list. These regulations are made so that customers can make informed decisions on their purchases. Here are a few things that are usually included on food labels:
- Product Name: This represents your product in such a way that it is not misleading.
- Ingredients List: Simply titled ‘Ingredients’, the ingredients list mentions the ingredients in your products in descending order of weight. It may also include the quantity of each ingredient as a percentage. For example, your packaged beef burger patties may constitute 75% minced beef.
- Nutrition Table: It provides information on the number of calories and 13 nutrients, including fat, sodium, and fiber. The table also includes a % Daily Value (% DV) column that indicates how much of the daily recommended intake of each nutrient is present in one serving of the food.
- Allergen Information: Any allergen advice is typically clearly printed on labels to help consumers avoid ingredients they are allergic to.
- Date Labeling: This indicates how long the product will last and may be noted as “best-before,” “packaged on” or “expiration” dates.
Apart from this, your food label may also include storage and cooking instructions. The provenance of the food may also be mentioned. After all, consumers love to know if what they’re eating has been made in Canada!
Marketing Benefits of Food Labeling
Apart from allowing your consumers to make informed choices on what they eat, food labeling offers several marketing benefits too.
- Explain Why Your Product is Unique: Food labeling can help differentiate one product from another by highlighting unique features or nutritional benefits.
- Brand Awareness: Showcase your brand identity and values on labels so consumers can instantly recognize (and appreciate) the other products you make.
- Builds Trust: Clean food labels or labels with accurate information helps your audience build trust in your brand.
- Competitive Advantage: The brand awareness and trust you build with your customers via your labeling can give you a competitive edge over your peers.
- Increased Sales: Effective food labeling can lead to increased sales by attracting health-conscious consumers who are willing to pay a premium for healthier products.
The Logistics Behind Your Labeling Matter
Consumers focus on what’s on the food label and its design. As a producer of goods, you need to think beyond these details. A few considerations include:
- The Size and Shape of Your Packaging
The size and shape of your packaging will determine the size and shape of your labels. You need to decide how much surface area of your packaging you want your labels to cover. For example, the size, design and shape of a label on a tube will be completely different from one you have on a pouch.
- How Your Product Will Be Stored
You want your labels to stay on whether your products will be stored inside or outside, in cold, wet, or hot conditions. This will help determine the materials used to make your labels and the type of adhesive you need.
- Getting Labels onto Your Products
Apart from the actual printing of labels, how your labels will be attached to your product packaging is one of the most important considerations to make. You want the process to be smooth and efficient without having to spend hours training staff. An automated labeling system is just what you need.
Invest in Quality Automatic Labeling Equipment
Quality automatic labeling equipment takes care of all your labeling woes. We can help you choose the right type of labels for your needs and the equipment to print and apply them to your packaging. Get in touch with us today to learn how we can help your products stand out from the crowd.
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