You’ve found your premises, named your brand, hired your staff and created a product range that you’re really proud of. You’re almost ready to go to market, but first you need to get your food labels sorted. Where do you begin?
Here’s a quick overview of everything you’ll need to bring your food labels from concept through to creation.
What you need to create your food label
1. Knowledge of your local food labelling legislation
The first (and arguably most important) consideration is the food labelling legislation to which your business is subject. Depending on where you are in the world, this will vary. Make sure you do sufficient research with your national food safety authority in order to include every piece of information you need on your labels and avoid any legislative pitfalls.
If you find the legal requirement overwhelming or you’re concerned that you may be missing something, Nutritics can help. Our food data experts are well-versed in the labelling requirements across numerous countries and can guarantee peace of mind when it comes to safe allergen management.
2. Nutrition analysis, either by lab or database
Before you begin to create the labels themselves, you’ll need to analyse the nutritional information of each product or recipe you’ll be labelling. It’s crucial that your source of data is comprehensive, accurate, up-to-date and reliable. This step also includes an analysis of which allergens, if any, are present in your food products.
Getting your food information correct from the start will make the management of foods, recipes, meals and menus much easier and guarantee compliance.
Food composition data are based on the majority of commonly available foods, ordered into categories. These data are generally accepted as representative of foods, but they have their limitations. It’s not sufficient to rely on food composition data when making gluten-free claims, labelling allergens or working with fortified foods; manufacturer data and/or laboratory analysis will be needed in these situations. You’ll also need customised information if ingredients you are using vary from the food composition data.
3. Software to design a label
Next, you need to design your labels. Choose software that will incorporate every part of information you need in order to meet the legal requirements in your country, in terms of nutritional information and allergen labelling. It’s an added bonus if you can control how your labels will look.
4. A printer
You’re almost finished! Now that your labels have been created, it’s time to get them off the screen and onto your products. You’ll need a printer, either in-house or outsourced.
If you’re using Nutritics, our Label Magic feature automates nutrition calculations, reliable and up-to-the-minute allergen information and even which health and nutrition claims are permissible, making compliance with the legal requirements for food labels in your country more straightforward than ever. The software also makes it easy to customise your labels to suit your printing needs and aesthetic preferences. Click below to watch a quick video showcasing the features included in Label Magic.