Label errors on food packaging are one of the most common errors in food production and can lead to a host of serious consequences, including regulatory issues, consumer confusion, and potential health risks. Luckily for you, we’ve compiled a list of the most common reasons for label errors and how you can avoid them.
Ingredients: the most common (and dangerous) mistake
Many label errors happen when the label doesn’t reflect an update in a change of ingredients. This can mean a lack of necessary allergen information, mistakes in formulation or even incorrect ingredients.
You can avoid this by regularly reviewing and updating ingredient lists for all food production items, starting with strict protocols for recipe changes. Alongside continuous label inspection, you can take it a step further by verifying allergen information with suppliers to avoid unwanted emergencies, both for your clients and your brand.
Nutritional information discrepancies are part of label errors and most commonly happen when there are errors in calculating or updating nutritional content. Your best bet for nutritional information errors is to use reliable software for nutritional analysis. Regularly test and verify nutritional information. Implement quality control checks.
Misleading claims or marketing language
Ok, now this is a big one – and unfortunately, it tends to happen all the time. Most (if not all) of us have been there and have even fallen victim to this issue. Ambiguous or false claims on packaging can lead to health issues with clients, along with a whole slew of other issues that are sure to cause even the most loyal consumers to lose trust in your brand.
What to do about this instead? Ensure that all marketing claims are accurate and comply with regulations, and regularly review and update packaging for compliance. If there have been instances of misleading claims in the past, address this to your audience immediately. There’s nothing like owning up to something – and showing what you’re doing to rectify this situation – to slowly regain trust.
