A recent article in Packaging-Gateway, a global news feed on all things packaging, states that many people consider food packaging labels to be misleading. I know many of you are coughing on your coffee saying something to the effect of, "No #$%t Sherlock," but in reality what started off as good, solid, information has drifted into a bunch of mumbo jumbo that many people (like me) gloss over and have no idea what it means. For example, some nutritional labels deliberately provide a few nuggets of information (the basics) while others list everything but the kitchen sink...not just fat but saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated fat, and of course the one we are ALL worried about (sarcasm) monounsaturated fat. What? Let's not forget, if saturated fat is less than monounsaturated fat, than the actual trans fats as they relate to polyunsaturated fat are likely to cause a higher level of blah, blah, blah.
I suspect many companies jam this information onto the packaging label since they are pressed for space or available "real estate" on their packaging. Further, as I've mentioned in recent posts, proper packaging is not only to contain or hold the product anymore, it is vital to conveying the right message of not only the product but your company as well. If you have clumsly, half slapped together packaging with a food label that resembles fine print on a legal contract, how appealing do you think your product looks? How impressed with your company would a new client be if your packaging was their first interaction? When you package your product properly, you can sleep easier knowing the information you want to say is clear, easy to understand, and informative.
One of our favorite topics to blog about is the custom printed stand up pouch. Also known as a stand up bag or a custom printed stand bag, these pouches are made with flexible film laminated together to form incredible barrier properties to keep the contents contained and fresher for longer. More importantly regarding today's topic, stand up pouches have a wide front or face and wide back that is perfect for custom printing with bold, beautiful graphics as well as pertinent text about why your product is so good, healthy, long lasting, etc.
How NOT To Package Your Product (see video below)
In closing, while food packaging labels are in fact difficult to undertand, custom printed stand up bags provide lots of room to explain all of that information in further detail. Want to learn more?