What changes will happen to packaging food labels in the future?

Key point: In recent years, with the continuous emergence of food safety emergencies, people's attention to food labeling has been increasing. Complaints from consumers about information labeling errors on food labels have occurred frequently, which has also attracted the attention of the country to food labeling and labeling. A series of relevant regulations and policies have been introduced to regulate the labeling of packaged food. At the same time, the development of food labeling is also moving towards diversification.

With the continuous improvement of consumer safety awareness, the demand for the amount of information carried on food labels is increasing. In recent years, with the continuous emergence of food safety emergencies, people's attention to food labeling has been increasing. Complaints from consumers about information labeling errors on food labels have occurred from time to time, which has also attracted the attention of the country to food labeling and labeling. A series of relevant regulations and policies have been introduced to regulate the labeling of packaged food. At the same time, the development of food labeling is also moving towards diversification.

Standardization

It is reported that from October 19th, the mandatory national standard "GB 4806.1-2016 General Safety Requirements for Food Contact Materials" will be officially implemented. The author learned from it that for disposable packaging products that come into direct contact with food, the packaging label must indicate the "for food contact" or "for food packaging" mark. In addition, it is necessary to indicate "name, material, manufacturer, address, contact information, production date, implementation standards, usage instructions", and so on. Meanwhile, the label cannot be separated from its minimum sales packaging. Products with special usage requirements should indicate the usage method, precautions, purpose, usage environment, usage temperature, etc. The author believes that the implementation of this policy not only further refines food contact materials, but also provides a basis for labeling food.

In addition, the labeling of milk powder is becoming increasingly strict. It is understood that the State Administration of Food and Drug Administration has issued the "Technical Guidelines for Prescription Registration Labeling of Infant Formula Milk Powder Products (Trial)", which strictly stipulates other labeling requirements for infant formula milk powder, such as product name requirements, label form requirements, label prohibition requirements, and optional labeling content, such as milk powder label content and function. The author has learned that content claims and function claims must be strictly labeled in accordance with the language requirements of national food safety standards. If an enterprise labels content claims and functional claims beyond the current national food safety standards, it must be approved by the health administrative department of the State Council before labeling. The claims involved in the label sample should be marked in written form on non main display pages.

Digitization and intelligence

With the continuous development of information technology, food labels are becoming increasingly digital and intelligent. Therefore, traditional printing can no longer meet the needs of personalized printing and variable data printing, so the growth trend of digital printing demand in the market is becoming increasingly apparent. Some printing companies have started the production of fully intelligent packaging labels, such as Hebei Xindong Printing, which has introduced high-end production equipment such as flexographic printing and anti-counterfeiting products. They have continuously developed various anti-counterfeiting technologies to add anti-counterfeiting functions to exquisite food and other packaging, achieving a perfect combination of aesthetics and practicality, fashion and high-tech, and gradually achieving the strategic goal of exporting high-quality packaging products overseas.

In fact, the intelligence of food packaging is mainly reflected in labels, and barcodes, QR codes, etc. are common smart label applications in daily life. The author has learned that a Finnish company has released NFC SpeedTap using Thinfilm? The "smart" bottle of high-end Kalevar gin is labeled. Each SpeedTap tag has uniqueness and is almost impossible to clone. Through NFC technology, it can be read using smartphones or devices, which will greatly promote consumer loyalty and brand promotion.

Smart tags not only enable interaction between consumers and products, but also recognize the quality of food. It is understood that the Japanese design studio TO-GENKYO once invented smart tags with special coatings. This label will change color due to changes in ammonia concentration, which can identify the freshness of the food.

Greenization and environmental protection

With the continuous promotion of energy-saving and environmental protection concepts, various fields are also actively responding, and the food labeling field is no exception. The author understands that the greening and environmental protection of labels are mainly reflected in the materials of the labels. It is understood that Singapore has launched a series of green and environmentally friendly labels. Compared to other materials, this new type of label is more economical and suitable for sustainable development. With the continuous progress of science and technology, as well as the dual influence of energy conservation and environmental protection concepts, food labeling will develop towards greenness and environmental protection.

Therefore, the author believes that with the increasing awareness of consumer health and safety, people will pay more attention to label information, and food processing enterprises and food packaging enterprises should grasp the development trend of food labels and attach importance to the improvement of labels. At the same time, the packaging machinery manufacturing industry should also pay attention to the development trend of the food labeling industry, keep up with the times, so as not to lose the direction of development.