As a food producer, one has to be extremely mindful about a lot of things and that includes labelling their products correctly. Now what does one mean when they say ‘correctly’? A person’s health is partially dependent on the food they eat. So when they buy your product, they cannot judge the contents of it just by looking at it. They need to be provided with ample information so that they can make the right choice for their body and also on how the product should be stored safely. Apart from this, it also helps in reducing food wastage. Initially, for a long period of time since their origin, people avoided reading labels and considered them unnecessary information. However, With the rise of problems and diseases associated with poor eating habits, people are increasingly reading the information printed on food packaging labels.
Being informed about these important factors is imperative and we’re here to help you with that. Some of the reasons that make food labelling a necessity are:
1. Legal Requirement:
As a food producer, you are legally bound to provide the consumers with appropriately labelled products. If you fail to do so, you can face severe penalties but initially you are only given an improvement notice. This notice includes a list of things you are doing wrong in regards to your label. However, if you ignore the guidelines mentioned in the notice, you will face prosecution.
In accordance with the law, your food label should comprise the name of the product, it’s ingredients, the amount/ percentage of those ingredients, instructions for usage of the product, the manufacturing and use by date, storage instructions, contact details and the country of origin.
2. Health Requirements:
The composition of your food helps in maintaining a balanced diet. With labels, you can control your intake of nutrients to avoid diseases and deficiencies. You can also maintain your weight by monitoring saturated fats and calories. All these steps help in avoiding heart diseases and diabetes etc.
3. Security Requirements:
A huge amount of people die due to excess intake of a certain food that they shouldn’t or by consuming foods that are contaminated with toxins and bacteria. Food labels can prevent these deaths as they keep people informed about the correct way to store, cook and consume the products.
4. Prevents Purchase of Counterfeit Products:
Sometimes, dishonest food sellers mislead consumers by mislabeling the products. To save costs, they use chemical or cheap substitutes instead of the original ingredients while claiming the opposite on their packaging. One of the main aims of food labelling is to prevent fraud.
5. Avoid Allergies and harmful Reactions:
A majority of the human population are allergic to ingredients like nuts, dairy, eggs, fish, gluten, etc. If a person mistakenly consumes a product and is unaware of its ingredients, it could lead to an allergic reaction. Some these reactions are so severe that they can even cause deaths. EU legislation requires labelling of 14 substances that are known allergens in some people. Food labels help you avoid products that are harmful for you.
6. Reduce Food Wastage:
Some people avoid reading food labels and throw out good food causing unnecessary wastage. However, everyone is not irresponsible and make it a point to read the use by dates of products before throwing them out or consuming them. Date marking on labels is necessary as it provides you with the shelf life of the products and helps you avoid getting sick.
7. Supporting Local Food Producers:
Food labels indicate the country or area of origin of the product. If it is local or even exotic, it attracts the consumers depending on their choice and increases the value of the product. In a study conducted by EBRD and FAO, nine products with geographic indication labels increased the price of the final product by 20 to 50 per cent. Today, consumers are increasingly linking quality to geographical origins and traditions.
The next time you design a new label for your food product, keep these factors in mind and avoid any unnecessary penalties in the future. We at Dal, work with the sole purpose of providing our customers with the best quality products, service and information. We offer a wide range of labelling products to suit your every need. Visit Dial A Label’s website to know more or get in touch with us at [email protected] or 03 9764 2882.