Mistakes…Happen?
Every year the pressure is on for businesses to remain compliant with legislation and laws, regarding food labelling and packaging. However, it has been revealed that common mistakes in labelling still happen. Recent polls and studies have shown that around 10% of goods over a variety of sectors including food & beverages have made significant financial losses due to mis-labelled products.
It could be fatal to the business and brand, if they were to let a mis-labelled product fall through the cracks and onto the shelves possibly in the hand of the consumer. Many risks could happen, including posing a significant risk to the health of that consumer should they be allergic, etc. Resulting in possible lawsuits or other punishable means for that mistake made. Therefore, it is imperative businesses/ manufacturers get the labels right the first time.
So, how can the risk be reduced?
Using up-and-coming methods and innovation from the print industry, software such as Tolarus NutriLabel, has been created in order to pick up auto-allergen detection and make thins easier for the business to spot any errors before labels are produced. Other software examples can be found with some research providing different methods for other areas of business. Creating cost-effective programs will significantly help these industries after the financial hardship of the COVID19 pandemic.
Another important factor to mitigate risk would be to use services they offer such as graphic design, bureau services and in-house printing. These services will enable the print companies to work together with businesses, building cost-effective and risk-free labels providing compliance with regulations and legislation. By working together, the labels will be checked more times than they would be if a business were to do the print themselves. Therefore, human error is minimised to a safer level.
Don’t blame the consumer!
Many consumers feel like blame is placed upon them for having dietary requirements, when out possibly at a restaurant or choosing products at a food outlet. The stigma is slowly reducing with new legislation coming into force such as Natasha’s Law and those being lobbied for: Owen’s Law. It is important for businesses to understand and educate themselves on the need for these types of laws and why they must produce clear, concise, and compliant labels as one mistake could potentially be fatal for a person who may have thought the food was safe for them to eat, if the label had not been produced clearly.
These mistakes don’t always just happen within food labelling, such as the need and calls for Owen’s Law, restaurants are also being asked to provide allergen highlighting within every item on their menu to protect consumers.
Mistakes happen in other sectors such as pharmaceutical, also potentially resulting in loss financially and fatally. Therefore, it is important to check labels thoroughly before or when printing for products to mitigate the risk and protect all parties from the manufacturer right through to the consumer.