Every year hundreds of products are recalled due to minor issues leading to loss of money and time. Packaging and labeling play an important role in that, that’s why error-free packaging is a must for every product.
There are many reasons that manufacturers need to focus more on the packaging and labeling process. Errors occurred due to mistakes made in labeling plays the biggest role in recalling the products. Every manufacturer needs to maintain the packaging and artwork management for each product. This includes opting for better applications, a working environment, well-trained employees, etc. Some packaging errors can cover wrong products or bad products being shipped and if this happens especially in the food sector serious consequences can happen.
Artwork & Label management software is the management of the development of artwork & labels from the time of creation till the time of approval. This is done digitally with the help of software. This automated system controls any alterations and rejections and connects teams and reviewers. It has much-integrated software where approvals can be tracked and audits are done and reviewed. Specific software like Artwork Flow helps manage the process efficiently and without human error. It serves as a central hub for collaborations between internal and external members like brand owners, vendors, and designers.
What Is Mislabeling Misadventures?
Every consumer has the right to know what’s in the product that they are using and trusting. So it is mandatory for all manufactures to provide the required information on the packaging and labeling of the product. According to the Food and Drug Administration if a manufacturer-provided false information or missed any of the important details they can be arrested for that. In a serious situation, the product can be banned from selling in the market. Almost around 60% of recalls that happen are due to the error caused by workers while packaging or printing. One the most common error seen is due to the typos which usually gets ignored during the proofreading part due to certain reasons.
Reasons Behind Labelling And Packaging Errors And How To Solve Them
Packaging Art And Multiple Labels
In the market, some products show many similarities in between which can lead to a lot of confusion. There is only a minute difference like a letter, symbol, etc which is more prone to error. Most of the time this error is only seen at the end checking part which will lead to a recall of the whole batch. It will result in a waste of a lot of products and time, and efforts invested in that. Various things should be included in the labeling part i.e. product name, details of the manufacturer, the number of ingredients, use before dates, additives included, the process of using the product, warning or precautions that should be taken, weight, and calories for food-related products, etc. The most common type of errors seen in labeling is spelling mistakes, misprinting of the same label, a wrong label placed on the wrong side, wrong translation, etc.
All these errors are the most common which will cause a recall of the products and it is important to check them on time to ensure no problem occurs releasing batches in the market. This can be done with the help of conforming to all the details before printing, random checkups of the products, continuously screening the process, etc. This process requires proper management.
Last Minute Information And Promotional Activities
Every company has to make changes for products after comparing with the competition, market needs, government rules, and regulations. And sometimes some instant changes have to be made which leads to problems with printing. As if they missed or ignored the new notification related to the products it will be a big issue. The most frequent kind of errors that happen in such scenarios is using the old barcode, printing an old offer that isn’t valid anymore, packaging the wrong product, nonexisting bar code, etc. This is important to make sure there are no issues with the product as all these issues can lead to negative feedback from customers, putting the wrong barcode can lead to legal issues, and much more. More importantly, all the products from that batch have to be recalled and destroyed. This issue can be controlled to a good level if the packaging products can be set in different processes like multiple levels of checking, making a list of things that needs to be checked before printing, reading the recent updates, etc.
In some countries like China, if any product’s advertisement is overhyped or fails it can be a serious issue. You can’t lie to your customers just to sell more. It is observed that mostly negative feedback of a product is due to overhyped advertising as customers buy after watching that and end up being disappointed.
Nestle’s mispackaging error
Once the KitKat original milk product got exchanged with the KitKat peanut butter bites and reached the market. Peanut is considered an effective allergen as many people are allergic to it and it can even be fatal. The whole batch has to be recalled.
Human Error
Every year out of total recalls almost 50% of the credit goes to an error caused due to human activities. Slacking the responsibility of checking before printing, missing out on the important details about packaging leads to main errors. Retailers prefer to have a wide range of products to be stored together so it covers less space. While stroking the process all the products get mixed which also leads to error. These are simple errors that can be easily solved after putting a little extra attention while working. Having proper coordination with teams, discussing the details, and creating a list of tasks can help.
Wrapping It Up!
With the advancement in technology, things for manufacturers have become easier as the machines will proofread the product while printing or packaging. Various selection rounds can be done, human observation along with technology can increase the chances of decreasing the number of errors.
For the latest business news follow us.