Packaging & Labelling

Food codes won't always need a separate, physical label in the future

Digital feature: long read

Printing, labelling and coding: labelling without the labels

By Gwen Ridler

Consumers need to know what’s in their food and customers need to know what product they’re moving around their warehouse, but as technology advances what's the role of traditional labels in the food chain?

Find out the latest developments in packaging technology in The Complete Package

Complete Package

The Complete Package: Sustainability and EU legislation

By Gwen Ridler

The latest developments in packaging technology, developing sustainable solutions for direct to consumer wine delivery and beating EU legislation on tethered caps are highlighted in our latest round-up of food and drink packaging innovations.

The Portman Group has updated its best practice Alcohol Labelling Guidelines for producers

New guidelines launched for alcohol labelling

By Michelle Perrett

Drinks watchdog The Portman Group has updated its best practice Alcohol Labelling Guidelines for producers, which gives information how to communicate alcohol and health-related information to consumers, across multiple channels.

The Plastics Packaging Tax has already affected packaging costs for businesses

Packaging costs rise in wake of plastics tax

By Gwen Ridler

Packaging costs have risen for six out of 10 businesses since the launch of the Plastics Packaging Tax in April, according to new research by Lindum Packaging.

Co-op has removed use-by dates from its own-label yogurts

Co-op scraps use-by dates on yogurts

By Gwen Ridler

Co-op is the latest supermarket to scrap use-by date labels on its own-label produce in a bid to cut down on food waste.

Rackley (pictured): 'The government has, I believe, missed a golden opportunity to create a cohesive, UK-wide approach to producer responsibility for packaging waste.'

Opinion

Extended Producer Responsibility scheme a 'missed opportunity'

By Alice Rackley

The government’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) response should be applauded as a positive step towards incentivising UK businesses to play their part in the circular economy, but missed a golden opportunity to create a cohesive, UK-wide approach...

Managing long- and short-term impacts to raw materials: BLF 2022

Managing long- and short-term impacts to raw materials: BLF 2022

By Gwen Ridler

In this exclusive video, Butchers Petcare chairman Geoff Eaton discusses the long-term and short-term challenges threatening to disrupt the prices of raw materials, as well as the effect of switching to more sustainable packaging for a brand.

The FDF has welcomed further discussion on business waste

Government confirms EPR scheme roll out delayed to 2024

By Rod Addy

The Government has confirmed it will delay the roll-out of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, which will require producers to bear the full cost of post consumer packaging waste disposal, until 2024.

From environmental issues to space saving, we look a the latest packaging machinery trends

Packaging machinery: Tech trends and environmental pressures

By Gwen Ridler

With environmental concerns, space issues on the factory floor and shakeups in the geopolitical landscape all affecting the food and drink industry, how has packaging machinery evolved to continue supporting manufacturers?

Consumers are wary of the Union Jack symbol on packaging

Consumers ignorant and suspicious of provenance

By Rod Addy

Consumers are ignorant of some quality standards marks and how much food really comes from the UK, according to research conducted by England Marketing on behalf of Love British Food.

Bottle caps fell foul of '100% recycled' claims

Drinks firms in trouble for '100% recycled' packaging claims

By Rod Addy

Soft drinks firms Pepsi Lipton International and Roxane UK have fallen foul of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which banned adverts that attracted complaints for making 'misleading' eco-friendly packaging claims.

Morrisons is to scrap use-by dates on its own-label milk products

Morrisons scraps use-by dates on milk

By Gwen Ridler

Morrisons has announced plans to scrap use-by dates on its own-label milk packaging by the end of January, in a bid to prevent waste.

Hansford (pictured): 'For processors looking to move into this market, flexibility of infrastructure is important'

Opinion

MAP gases and freezing considerations for plant-based foods

By Gwen Ridler

Neil Hansford, food packaging and cryogenic freezing expert at Air Products, discusses the freezing considerations and the application of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) for plant-based foods or meat analogues.

The UK Plastics Pact arose out of a time of great public concern about plastics pollution

Plastic packaging: strong progress announced by WRAP

By Michelle Perrett

Problematic single-use plastic items were reduced by 46% while the amount of plastic packaging in supermarkets fell by 10% from 2018-2020, the UK Plastics Pact’s third annual report reveals .

The Portman Group is calling for calorie labelling to remain voluntary

Alcohol manufacturers move towards calorie labelling

By Michelle Perrett

Almost half (47%) of alcoholic drinks from leading UK brands now carry calorie information on their labels, in addition to other warnings, the drinks watchdog The Portman Group has revealed.

AMP: metal cans are the most recycled drinks packaging in the world

Ardagh Metal Packaging to build $200m NI can plant

By Rod Addy

Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP) has announced plans to build a $200m drinks can plant near Belfast in Northern Ireland, creating many full-time jobs for engineers, technicians and other roles.

The U-label scheme uses QR codes on wine or spirits bottles to convey information

Why voluntary nutrition labels for alcoholic drinks won’t work

By Richard Horwell

A voluntary e-label scheme has been developed by European wine and spirits trade bodies Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins and Spirits Europe enabling wine and spirit producers to communicate nutritional, calorie and allergen information via QR codes...

Martin: 'Companies must start their compliance early'

Legal opinion

Get to grips with low-to-no-alcohol labelling now

By Pete Martin

Consumers determined to ditch booze or reduce their intake have seen the no- and low-alcohol sector soar over the past two years, with the category growing by 51% in the year to February 2021 (Kantar Worldpanel).

Coveris has launched RecyclaPEel modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) sandwich skillets

The Complete Package

The Complete Package: recyclable packs take high profile

By Rod Addy

Recyclable packaging innovations took a high profile this month, with Coveris announcing a string of developments, while transport issues look set to drive up testliner costs and steel costs have rocketed over 12 months.

Tesco has entered a partnership with Loop over reusable packaging

Tesco partners with Loop on reuseable packaging

By Michelle Perrett

Tesco has entered a partnership with global reusable packaging platform, Loop to launch a new way for its customers to shop and buy a wide range of food, drink, household and beauty products in reusable and durable packaging.

Recalls can be prevented by safeguarding against 'never events' in the factory

Preventing recalls by avoiding ‘never events’

By Gwen Ridler

Up to half of all food and drink recalls could be prevented by avoiding ‘never events’, easily preventable packaging and labelling mistakes that trigger an allergen related recall, management consultancy RQA has claimed.

New launches, rebrands and developments in materials feature in this packaging round-up

Packaging round-up: Rebrands and new developments

By Gwen Ridler

New recyclable packaging at TruffleHunter, the development of paper-based bags at Bauck and a ‘first of its kind’ integrated bottle cap all feature in this round-up of food and drink packaging developments.

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