Coding and Labeling Importance for Beverage Products
A unique aspect of the coding and labeling of beverage products is the absolute need to maintain the quality of the product throughout the entire marking process. Due to the delicate and sensitive nature of certain beverages such as beer, wine, and other beverages that contain living or active ingredients- there is a need to maintain consistent temperature, safe lighting and proper handling of said products. Similarly the temperature must be controlled as to not have adverse effects on the machinery used to label.
Labeling systems, like AMI’s CAMI Label, and coding machines or printers used in the beverage industry must be able to stand up to the inevitable moisture- whether it’s residual product or condensation forming on a bottle. In-line and automated labeling machines designed to stand up to the presence of moisture, grease and other common debris are the backbone of the beverage labeling system.
What Makes Labeling & Coding Essential for the Beverage Industry?
Health & Safety are of the utmost importance when it comes to any products that are to be consumed. Beverages sit right at the top of the list for products that may contain alcohol, probiotics, alternative medicines, and/or other ingredients prone to further regulation, oversight or vital storage and transportation guidelines.
The labels and the codes imprinted on bottles provide important information for distributors, sellers, and of course consumers. Proper handling and storage, as well as consumption instructions, are found on bottles to ensure consumer safety regarding the specific beverage and its contents. Date codes are printed, sometimes directly on the beverage container with specialty coders like thermal inkjet printers, to denote expired products that may cause sickness or when retailers should remove these products from sale.
Product Authenticity is another high-level need for the proper labeling and coding on beverages. Again, items that may contain alcohol or offer medicinal benefits, are the most likely to be counterfeited. Coding and labeling act as another level of brand authentication, ensuring proper representation of trusted goods. Serving the needs of regulators or consumers by speaking to a product’s legitimacy, origin, and safety- these printed labels and codes are important in inspiring confidence.
Traceability is a widely discussed topic when it comes to the labeling and marking of goods. Throughout manufacturing, and during sorting, routing, shipping, receiving and merchandising, an item’s traceability allows pinpoint accuracy in the event of an incident. The printed batch codes found on food and beverage products serve as an informative reference to identify and trace identical products that have the same production characteristics such as time, date, ID code, and other production specifics.
This process ultimately serves the best interest of consumers and manufacturers alike. Easy identification of recalled or contaminated goods has become a familiar part of everyday life. The swiftness of identifying these goods is often handled by retailers before a consumer has to be concerned. From a manufacturers viewpoint it allows a highly detailed breakdown of how many units are affected, their potential whereabouts, and an estimated figure into how many products are in possible consumer circulation.
Branding and Marketing of beverage containers is something we are all widely familiar with. A product’s story must be conveyed to you instantly to captivate a consumer’s multitude of choices. Beyond brand logos or colorways, call-outs of a product’s country of origin, specialty ingredients, or lifestyle appeal are used to market beverages. These can extend to special messages printed with the date codes on the bottom of a craft beer can or bolded text on ingredients of note on a high-end infused olive oil – branding and marketing have come to encompass all facets of labeling and coding on consumer goods.
AMI specializes in printing, coding and labeling equipment and technology and our knowledgeable staff can assist manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers alike. Give us a call today at 1-800-345-6667 or request a call back.