Have you ever been to the store and picked the wrong product by just looking at its label? Or do you often find yourself buying a specific food product because it contains a detailed description of its content on the label?

Food label mistakes cause dangers by the ingestion of the wrong product. To food producers, this can either make or destroy your brand.

Food labelling is a vital part of food production. Hence, food producers must not rush this stage. Since the adoption of Regulation 1169/2011 on food information to customers, labelling food products has undergone a significant change.

Food labelling includes essential details required for consumer safety. Labelling ensures food products are appealing.

To avoid labelling mistakes, food packaging companies need special care during the food packaging stage. Producers must learn how to label products correctly.

Continue reading this guide to learn seven most common label mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Illegible or Unreadable Labelling

Legible labels are one of the basic legal requirements of food product labels. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) stated that this is one of the top food labelling mistakes.

If your product doesn't have the proper and easy-to-read labels, it will hardly sell in the market. Your company may suffer a massive blow if your products are missing important information on the labels.

Also, consumers' health may be at high risk if they purchased your product instead of their intended one because of the illegible label. Huge companies find it challenging to maintain a regulated labelling order; hence, unclear labelling is regular.

Here are a few questions food manufacturers should ask themselves before releasing their products to the market:

•         Are all the ingredients listed on the food labels?
•        Are all the components correct?
•         Is the list on the product relatable to the consumers?

2. Using Inaccurate Nutrition Facts

Food producers should avoid inaccurate nutritional facts. Everything in the food needs to be listed correctly. Ensure you list the percentages clearly and accurately.

Presenting inaccurate nutrition facts can destroy your brand and customer loyalty. The assumption that these labels are hard to miss is one cause for mislabeled nutritional facts.

Make sure you are honest and be sure about the facts you place on the food labels. Ensure you double-check and recheck the labels to ensure no mistakes during labelling.

3. Hard to Read Font

Ensure you test your labels for readability. There is a minimum requirement that the FDA publishes. The information about your food product needs to be easy to read.

The readability of your food labels builds confidence and trust in your brand. Your nutrition information should be simple and easy to understand.

Avoid overdoing the text labels with busy or small fonts. Also, always check the size, style, and text colour contrast for readability. The more precise you are about the product you are providing to the consumers, the more confident they will feel purchasing your products.

4. Legal Requirements

Following the FDA legal requirement is a must. There are basic legal requirements when it comes to food labels. It is vital to always keep the fine details of your food label in your mind before releasing the product to the market.

Make sure you use a checklist on the product information to tick every area. To avoid hefty penalties and lawsuits, make sure you include the following details on the food label text:

Name of the food: The packaging must clearly state the name of the food. If the legal name is missing, use a conventional name.

List of ingredients: List all the ingredients in your food, including water and additives.

Warnings on allergens: The allergen information must be included and emphasized on the food label text.

Net quantity: The Food Information Regulations state that all packages above 5g or 5ml must show clearly the net quantity on the label.

Storage condition and date labelling: There must be a "best before," "use by," or "expiry date" mark on the food label. It shows how long the food is to be stored.

Name and manufacturer's address: The name of the business and the address should be on the label. Foods sold in NI must include either an NI or EU address.

5. Disguising Unhealthy Ingredients

Ever had a food product that later caused adverse health complications? Some of these products may have unhealthy ingredients. Food producers can pick and choose which component facts to highlight on the food labels.

Spinning or not highlighting the actual ingredients in the food product is considered deceptive advertising. Eating unhealthy ingredients poses health risks to consumers who can later file lawsuits.

6. Disguising Production Methods

How are your best food products made? Are the companies taking into consideration preserving the environment and avoiding animal cruelty? Some food labels imply they use a socially responsible way, while that is not the case on the contrary.

Scrupulous manufacturers use catchy phrases and words on the food labels to show they use legal production methods, but have nothing to prove what their consumers assume they mean. As a food producer, make sure you are using words your consumers can understand.

7. Health Claims

Do you see such labels on the food products you buy: organic, farm-fresh, no sugar, low fat, high protein, and gluten-free? Such health claims should not be enough to convince a consumer to buy the product. Food legislations are stringent.

Food producers should ensure their claims are verifiable. Ensure your food company has credible evidence on the health claims you label on the food products.

Avoid the Above Food Label Mistakes

While preparing your food product for the market, it is vital to keep all the fine details at the top of your mind. The evolving guidance and emerging litigation trends highlight many food label mistakes that keep food producers on their toes.

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At LabelProfi team, we are a major supplier of full labels and flexible packaging solutions for short and medium-run production. Innovative solutions, excellent service, versatile flexibility, and the use of cutting-edge technology all combine to give us a competitive advantage.

Contact us today to inquire more about our services.