What You Need To Know About Product Labelling
Did you know that?at least a third of product purchase decision making is based on the packaging alone? That’s why it’s SO important to make sure you get your product labelling right.
So how do you achieve that? Getting it right includes three key factors: cultural fit, an accurate translation (if necessary), and compliance with local regulations.
Remember that a successful product label is more than just text. Think of it as a mini-advertisement for your product. And just like any advertisement, if you don’t take the local culture into account, your sales may suffer because of it.
Accurate Translation
Whether you’re shopping in a store or online, the label is where customers look to find out key information about their potential purchase. Depending on the product, labels can list ingredients and materials, instructions, safety information, and more.
Product names and branding elements can be altered from the original to ensure cultural fit. But there’s no such flexibility when it comes to the sort of information customers need to make purchasing decisions or keep themselves safe. Accurate translation of information like this is non-negotiable.?
Compliance With Regulations
Regulatory compliance includes accurate translation, where required. But there’s more to it than that. Labelling regulations also govern the type of information you present on the label, the way it’s presented and sometimes even the size of the font used.
Failure to meet product labelling requirements for your target region won’t just make your product less appealing to customers, it also exposes your business to legal liability and compliance risks. Since regulations vary between countries (and sometimes even between states), the potential for a costly error increases as your business expands to other regions.
Retail Labels for Food
Generally speaking, labels for food products must advise consumers of the product ingredients (including potential allergens), the “best before” or “use by” date, country of origin, and nutrition information. The address of the manufacturer or distributor is also required.
United States Food Labelling Requirements
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates most food labels. However, meat, poultry, and eggs are under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Agriculture, while the Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade governs alcohol sales, including labelling.
States can also impose their own labelling requirements. And if you’re planning to sell your food product in other countries, the requirements get even more complex.
Canadian Food Labelling Requirements
In Canada, food labelling requirements are outlined by the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations and the Safe Food for Canadians Act and Regulations. Mandatory information has to be provided in both French and English, with some exceptions for specialty foods, local foods and test market foods.
Net quantity symbols must appear in English and French as well, and use locally appropriate units of measurement. “Best before” and “packaged on” dates must be formatted as Year/Month/Date.
Mexican Food Labelling Requirements
Mexican food labels must comply with the Mexican Official Standard NOM-051. As you’d expect, this includes standard information like ingredients, allergens, country of origin, etc. Everything must be in Spanish using appropriate date formats and units of measurement.
But there’s more…Mexican food label laws now mandate specific warnings to help curb poor nutrition and obesity. Foods high in saturated fat, trans fats, sugar, sodium or calories must carry black octagon-shaped warning labels. Products with caffeine or added sweeteners must have warning labels to indicate that they are not for children. And they cannot use child-friendly branding elements like cartoon characters, pets, celebrities, or athletes.
Say Adios to Lucky the Leprechaun, Tony the Tiger, and Count Chocula — they are no longer a part of this nutritious breakfast!
EU Requirements
If you’re exporting to the EU, you’ll need to comply with the Food Information Directive, which took effect in 2014. Information including but not limited to country of origin, ingredients, allergens, and nutrition must be available in “a language easily understood by the consumers of the Member States where a food is marketed.”
Organic Food Labels?
In the United States, organic food must be certified to contain at least 95% organic ingredients, with no synthetic growth hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, biotechnology, synthetic ingredients, or irradiation.
Products certified as organic in the United States can use the Canada Organic logo under an equivalency agreement. However, there is not yet an organic equivalency agreement between the US and Mexico. For now, to market products as organic in Mexico requires certification under Mexican organic standards.
Retail Labels (Non-food)
Regulations for non-food retail labels vary depending on the product and the country or region where it’s being sold. With that said, just as with food products, some elements are standard almost everywhere.
·?Country of origin;
·?Name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor;
·?Product description, including contents, materials, and the amount of the product included. You may also include a serial number or a batch number for tracking purposes;?
·?Compliance marks for specific regulatory standards.
It should go without saying, but just in case…all of this information needs to be provided in the local language or languages of the country you’re selling to.
Many countries have additional requirements for products intended for babies and children, as?well as for potential hazards like electronics.
Labelling Requirements for Electronics?
Electronic devices make the world go ‘round. But faulty wiring or poorly-manufactured batteries can cause fires or even explosions. As a result, electronics labels need to contain safety information like voltage, power ratings, power output ratings, and warnings against improper use.
It’s recommended (but not required) that electronics sold in the US carry the UL compliance mark, which certifies that the products have been designed and manufactured to specific safety standards.
In Canada, not only do electronics need to meet safety standards, compliance marks such as UL, ULC, CSA, or TUV SU are required for some electronics in some provinces. Meanwhile, electronics being sold in the European Union require the CE mark on their label.
Some electronics sold in the US must carry the FCC compliance mark to indicate that the device complies with FCC regulations on electromagnetic interference. In Canada, you’ll need the Canadian equivalent, an ISED certification number, instead.
Electronics entering Mexico must comply with NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-024 in terms of labelling. The best practice is to get a Constancia de Conformidad (Certificate of Conformity) to ensure that these requirements are met.
Fully Compliant Retail Labels
No matter what you’re selling, ensuring your labels are compliant for your target region is essential. The US, Canada, Mexico, and the EU all require that your product packaging be written in local languages. In Canada, that means your labels need to be in English and French. In Mexico, that means Spanish.
Choosing a Labelling Translation and Compliance Partner??
This article is meant to provide a brief overview of labelling requirements in these different regions. If we were to list every regulation that could possibly apply, it would be an entire book, and a thick one, at that.
Ready to take your products global? Take a look at our website to find out more about our label and packaging solutions or send us an email [email protected]
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