The labels of food on their packaging are important for a variety of reasons. This is the portion of the packaging that will inform the consumer of all vital information about the product, so they know it’s safe and right for them. There are many common mistakes that producers make on food packaging labels that can be avoided by keeping a few simple things in mind. For the top common food labeling mistakes to avoid, read below.
The Text on the Label’s Illegible
This is an issue that will cause major problems with moving your product. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) states one of the major mistakes with label design is that they’re illegible. Making your product label legible is one of the basic but important requirements. This makes it possible for consumers to learn all of the ingredients in a food product if they have allergies or other medical conditions that require avoiding certain foods. Any illegibility of the information on your product will likely lead to consumers missing important information on your product or feeling like it’s a product they can’t trust. If you are a high-volume food manufacturer, it’s especially important to double-check this detail, as it can be harder to keep order when there are so many different products to be responsible for.
The Nutrition Facts Are Inaccurate
To grow in the market as any kind of reliable food manufacturer, you need to make sure to have all the nutrition facts present. Whether you have simply forgotten a fact or detail or left it out on purpose doesn’t matter; it creates a feeling of dishonesty either way, which ruins the trust between you and the consumer. Always make sure to be honest with your nutrition facts. Then, make sure you are correct with all the facts. Make sure to double-check everything in the table. Look at serving sizes and servings per container, as well as if you’re rounding values properly, and if reference amounts are accurate. Your brand image will be damaged if neglect to give the correct nutritional facts publicized.
Failure To Follow Basic Legal Requirements
Of the common food labeling mistakes to avoid, this is one that might seem like it should be common sense, but it gets missed frequently. These are basic pieces of information like the statement of identity, country of origin name, place of business, net contents, ingredient statement, warnings of allergens, and the nutrition facts panel. As this is an important aspect of how to properly label food products, all of these items must be included to meet federal legal requirements for the packaging of any food products. A way to avoid missing any of these important details is to keep them in mind at the forefront of everything else when preparing your product for the market. It also helps to use checklists to help ensure that no details are missed.
