Food labeling is very important to every food manufacturing company. It is a legal requirement before conducting any business dealing with food. Food labeling helps consumers make informed decisions before buying a particular product. The information will help them on how to store and use that particular product. This is because the producer may not be there when they are purchasing the commodity to answer some of their questions. Having the proper information regarding the food they are purchased is a guarantee that the food is safe for consumption. As a food producer, you are required to label your food as this may result in legal action. The prepackaged food should contain information entailing the ingredients, the name of the food, instructions on how to use the food, and even the storage guidelines. There are many food labeling systems one can use for instance the prep-n-print digital food labeling system
Hereby are some of the benefits of food labeling
- Provides information relating to nutrition
It is a legal requirement for every food production industry to have information relating to the nutrients displayed on the package. Customers need to know the nutritional value of the food they are consuming. Most health-related diseases require one to consume nutritious meals. For instance, consuming meals that have a high level of saturated fat, salt and sugar, and sugar may result in health problems such as high blood pressure. It is always advisable to indicate the levels of salt and saturated fats in your products. This will help most of the customers who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. It will be possible for them to avoid the intake of foods that will interfere with their health.
Consumers need to monitor their nutritional values and their intake to prevent obesity. Consuming foods with high content of calories and sugar may lead to obesity. Heart disease is commonly caused by fat deposits that make the arteries clog. The clogging may result in a heart attack.
Religious beliefs may also make one inquire about nutritional information. This is because some religions forbid the consumption of certain ingredients. The nutritional information will enable them to select the best food which is allowed by their religion. Someone’s medical condition may also require one to know the components of the food they are consuming.
- Allergens
People who are allergic to certain food can suffer severely if they consume such foods. They need to be cautious when it comes to the meals they are taking. This is because if they take food containing allergens, an allergic reaction will take place and this can cause severe problems or even death. When dealing with food production, you are required to be aware of the 14 named allergens.
- Source information
Origin information is important as many consumers like supporting their local producers. Some consumers associate the origin of a product with quality. It is also a way of reducing carbon footprint. It is always advisable to label the origin of your product.
- Expiry date
The date marking on the package will help the consumer know how long the food will last. This may make the consumer purchase in bulk or not. The expiry date helps the consumer know how long the duration the food is safe for consumption. The date marking will also reduce food waste. This is because consumers are not likely to purchase foods with short expiries. The best-before date signifies that once the expiry date has been reached, the product can either lose its freshness, aroma, or even some of the nutrients. This does not indicate that the food is no longer safe for consumption. To detect whether the food is still safe for consumption one can smell or even check the appearance of the product.
Before selecting any food product on the supermarket shelf, it is always advisable to confirm the information relating to the expiry date, ingredients list, storage instructions, nutritional value, and even allergen information. This is one of the great ways to ensure you select a good product. You should also confirm the cooking of the commodity. This is because most of the food has different cooking methods. Some may require deep-frying, shallow frying, steaming, boiling, or even roasting.
Wrapping up
In conclusion, food labeling is very useful. The above article illustrates some of the benefits. Labeling your food products correctly will enable you to establish your brand. This is because more clients will be attracted to buying your product. After all, you have informed them what the product entails in the package. This in turn will help you gain a competitive advantage against your competitors.
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