FIC: printers be wary

FIC printersWith the recent comment by GS1 that the “larger brands are making considerably more progress towards compliance of the new food labelling regulations than the smaller brands”, the prospect of possible bottlenecks at some printers toward the end of the year could soon be a very dire reality, according to CS Labels.

Labelling rules in European Directives 2003/89/EC and 2006/142/EC ensure that all consumers are given comprehensive ingredient listing information and make it easier for people with food allergies to identify ingredients they need to avoid. However, following implementation of the Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011, allergen labelling rules will be changing in December 2014.

The transitional arrangements mean that most of the requirements do not apply until December 2014, with nutrition labelling becoming mandatory in 2016. Therefore, food businesses are running out of time to get used to the arrangements and make sure they comply with new labelling requirements as they come in.

The explosion of digital print is becoming a viable option for many companies, particularly where there are many or frequent changes required to the information presented on the label. Companies such as CS Labels specialise exclusively in digital label printing. This enables them to provide a very fast and efficient turnaround of work, initially due to the lack of printing plates required. This means less stock holding for clients and confidence in the fact that they can synchronise label changes or campaigns in a timely and efficient manner.

MD Simon Smith says, “CS are rather unique because as Europe’s largest digital Xeikon label house we are able to maximise production efficiency by spreading out the workload over four of our Xeikon digital presses. Each press is set up specifically to run a particular type of material. This leads to a typical turnaround between jobs lasting a mere five minutes.

“These changes can cause a real headache for the producers that are already thinking about them. We deal with clients in food that are both large and small, and those that are ahead of their game are also planning on how they can still brand their product effectively yet display all of the information required, both now and in the future as the legislation, and their business, evolves. Digital can be a real life saver in many ways.”

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