Labeling Innovations from Weber

Back in 2005, when the Julian Pie Company was experiencing phenomenal growth, the company realized that it needed to add automation to an awkward, labor-intensive operation of labeling and sealing its boxes of freshly-baked fruit pies.

Now, after over eight years on the production line, the company knows it made the right decision when it chose labels and a custom system from Weber Packaging Solutions to solve its dilemma.

Recently, while exhibiting at a trade show in the area, a few members of our Marketing team decided to swing by Julian Pie Company's bakery to see how things are going now that they've automated their labeling process.

One of the hot trends we discovered at the Dairy Deli Bake trade show was many brands are offering multiple flavors for their products. This included:

• Limited Edition Flavors
• Seasonal Flavors
• Experimental Flavors

Let's say you have a business that specializes in jams and sauces. You might want a special holiday jam or to test a new flavor combination for your hot sauce line.

The more flavors you can offer, the bigger your potential customer base. But this can also lead to some packaging challenges.

If you want to use the same label size and label art for every flavor, you can simply have labels preprinted and then later imprint the variable information, such as ingredients or nutrition fact, on-site using a Zebra or Datamax thermal-transfer label printer.

Labels are the perfect medium for informing consumers about the nutrition and ingredients in packaged food but they can also be the best place to share your story and connect with a consumer.

Here are a couple of ways that you can share your story with consumers, from the farmer's market to grocery store shelves:

Reach out with QR Codes

QR codes work well on labels because consumers can connect with your brand at the store or even later after the purchase.

Scanning the code can direct the consumer to your company's website or a social media page where they can continue to connect with your brand by getting more information, coupons, special deals or other content that helps build a relationship.

Share your biography

Include a short story or summary on your prime label about the growers or producers of the food. Including a picture of the farmer or the farm also adds a personalized touch to the product's label.

In the example below, not only does the label include a picture of the farmer, but they also included a biography about their brand. This jar label will definitely sticks out at the farmer's market or the shelves of the grocery store.

Big changes are coming for regulated chemical labels.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officially adopted a ruling that changes its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to match the guidelines of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS).

This new labeling system sets out to reduce confusion, create a standard process and educate users.

Current Compliant Labels

In 1994, OSHA mandated that containers with hazardous chemicals must be labeled with a product identifier and hazard statements appropriate for each hazardous chemical.

For years Weber customers were able to use blank thermal-transfer labels or direct-thermal labels to print this product and hazard information.

Other companies ordered pre-printed color labels using the Hazardous Materials Identification System (HMIS) boxes and then imprinted specific safety information on-site. They were able to variably-imprint their individual products' Health, Flammability, Reactivity and Personal Protection ratings.

But starting in 2015, those elements alone will no longer be compliant with OSHA. Manufacturers will be able to continue to use the HMIS information on their labels, but they also will be required to include more specific elements that are in the GHS guidelines.

Seafood consumers were surprised by the recent report from Oceana about seafood labeling, which uncovered widespread mislabeling of seafood nationwide, including the fact that nearly 40 percent of the fish tested from restaurant menus were mislabeled.

The report highlighted the weaknesses in current seafood labeling regulations and enforcement of rules. Because of this, the U.S. Congress is working on two bills, HR 1012 and S 520.

However, at this time it is unclear this early on if the bills will gain traction.

To learn more about this, I sat down with our Vertical Markets manager, Paul Johnson. Paul has been researching the labeling issues facing the seafood industries and how we can help them.

He explained to me that ultimately the problem comes down to the lack of specificity in documentation during seafood business transactions.

The more information these seafood companies can provide on their packaging or label, the better.

It is important that seafood packaging includes:

• Harvest location, Date and Method (wild or farmed)
• Expiration Date
• Species, including market name and scientific name
• Product count and weight

Seafood companies are working with several companies and organizations to ensure that the information on the package is accurate.

Here are three options seafood companies are using for traceability

Quick Response Codes (QR Codes) are 2D barcodes that can be scanned with a smart phone app to bring a consumer to a website or some other piece of information such as a video or pdf. With more and more people using smart phones, QR Codes are a great way to connect with customers.

Here are a few tips to adding these codes to your label design:

• Work the code into your artwork - Experiment with Color!
  You don't have to make your codes black and white! Just make sure the colors contrast enough for the app to read it. You can also insert logos to the the code. Contact our Graphics department about integrating a QR Code into your existing label design.

• Give incentive to scan
  People want to be directed to contests, tips and videos about the product. If they find it valuable to scan, they will be more likely to scan your codes in the future and interact with the brand.

• Test!
  Test your QR Code with different phones to make sure it works and quickly goes to the page you want. If the contest has an end date, make sure you utilize that page afterwards. Even though they can no longer win, don't send them to an error page.