Printing and Labeling for Beverages

Food and beverage packaging present one of the greatest challenges to inkjet printers and print and apply labelers. With stringent regulatory requirements, a wide variety of packaging substrates, shapes, line speeds and challenging conditions, food & beverage manufacturers must produce reliable, durable, and clear codes no matter what.

Nowhere is this truer than in the beverage industry.

Glass, plastic, metal, and cardboard beverage containers present uniques challenge for printers. The curved or complex shapes creates challenges like the distance from printhead to surface, condensation, speed and more. 

Below we will explore the difficulties of beverage labels and showcasing the most advanced and reliable options for beverage marking and labeling.

Beverage label requirements

Given the broad range of different beverage types, it’s little surprise that beverage label requirements vary significantly. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is primarily responsible for detailing the guidelines for food & beverage labels – alongside the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

You can refer to the FDA’s Food Labeling Guide for specifics on label placement, nutrition labeling, health claims, graphics, and more. 

The Nutritional Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), overseen by the FDA, governs food & beverage labels. It requires labels to include:

• Nutrition Facts panel
• List of ingredients
• Declaration of allergens, as applicable.

In addition, specific types of beverages must include relevant information:

• Caffeinated drinks must list the quantity of caffeine in the product
• Alcoholic beverages must state the percentage of alcohol in the beverage
• Beverages containing juice (fruit or vegetable juice) must declare the percentage of juice

Inkjet printers are more commonly used for required information including barcodes, batch numbers, expiry dates, best before dates, manufacturing dates, track and trace information, and more.

Print and apply labeling machines must be able to handle wrap, corner and wipe-on applications, various container sizes and conditions, conveyor size and speed and more.

Challenges of beverage marking and labeling

The beverage industry is fast-expanding with new packaging choices and substrates becoming continually available. Moreover, manufacturers must comply with consumer safety regulations, production line demands, and consumer expectations when beverage label printing.

Nor are these challenges restricted to solely the biggest industrial-scale manufacturers. The past few decades have seen an explosion in small-scale craft beverages – whether it be beer, CBD drinks, energy shots, or carbonated drinks. 

Let’s run through the challenges facing the industry:

Product packaging

Beverage packaging comes in four primary substrates:

• Plastic
• Glass
• Metal
• Cardboard

Each of these different materials requires a tailored solution. For example, while water-based inks work well on cardboard, solvent-based inks are preferable for glass, metal, and plastic. 

Other considerations include:

• Color of the material you are printing on
• Size of the product or package
• Size of the code and/or image you need
• Number of  lines of text
• Number of imprints per day
• If the surface is flat, uneven, rounded, recessed
• Speed of the line
• How close to the product will the printer be

There are quite a few more considerations to take into account. Take a look at our in-depth questionnaire for more!

We recommend using AMI/REINER’s quick-drying ink options to print beverage labels directly onto a plastic surface. With a thermal inkjet (TIJ) printer, you can efficiently switch between an assortment of ink colors – no matter whether the plastic is light or dark.

The same is also true of glass and metal. Here the beverage labels need to be durable and quick drying to prevent smudging. 

For further information on the best printer and ink for your application, please speak to our expert team. 

Surface shape

Most food labels are printed onto a flat or semi-flat surface – the opposite is true of beverage labels. Here, manufacturers may need to print onto an irregular bottle cap, the concave underside of a metal can, or a curved glass bottle. 

Our range of printers is designed to accommodate these challenges – suitable for printing on almost any surface shape. In addition to our inline printers, we also stock handheld TIJ printers, particularly useful for craft beverage producers. 

Because our printers can print onto these varied surfaces, you never need to compromise your beautiful packaging and branding with unsightly labels. We guarantee high-resolution graphics, alphanumerics, and barcodes on any product surface or shape.

Changing regulations

It’s not just federal regulations with which manufacturers need to comply. Marking and coding can change state by state. The imprints in all of our printers are 100% customizable; you can adjust or update marking and coding depending on the regulation in question. 

Here are some common marking and coding requirements:

• 1D & 2D Barcodes
• 128 Barcodes
• Additives
• Allergens
• Alphanumeric Text
• Batch Codes
• Best Before Dates
• Best By Dates
• Expiration Dates
• Expiry Dates
• Fact Panel & Warnings
• Freeze By Dates
• Graphics
• GS1-128 Barcodes
• Ingredients
• Live Dates & Times
• Lot Codes
• Manufacture Dates
• Net Weight & Quantity
• Nutritional Facts
• Sell-By Dates
• Serving Size
• Servings Per Container
• Shift Codes
• Track & Trace Information
• UPC-A Barcodes
• Use By Dates
  

Drying time

No matter whether you’re a craft beer producer or an industrial beverage manufacturer, you cannot afford an illegible label. Modern quick-drying ink formulas are the obvious solution. Not only do they dry rapidly – within 1 to seconds, becoming rub-resistant in about a minute – they can also withstand demanding workplace conditions.

Automated Marking is ready to find you the right printer or labeler

After decades of helping beverage companies find a suitable inkjet printer for beverages, we’re an industry-leading expert with the most advanced printing and labeling solutions. Our handheld, print and inline printers are suitable for small craft businesses or Fortune 500 companies. Our print and apply solutions are simple and smart with expertise to help you install and maintain efficiency.

If you need a beverage a printer for lot codes, expiration dates, and other information, or a labeler to apply labels to bottles, cans or containers, we’re here to help. 

Contact us for information on a suitable beverage printing or labeling solution tailored to your needs.