To compliment our biodegradable labels, we supply Rock Paper Label sustainable labels – Rock labels made without wood and water pollution.
These sustainable labels come with standard permanent and peelable adhesive. This material is printable by most printing methods including thermal transfer, though laser printing is not recommended.
Rock Paper Labels
Rock paper labels (also known as Paper from Waste Marble, MableBase, Mineral Paper, Rich Mineral Paper, Sustainable Paper or Eco Paper) are – as the name suggests – made from rock – the ultimate sustainable label material.
Our rock labels are made from 80% marble – a bi-product of mining waste where the mable dust and offcuts are ground to a fine dust. The calcium carbonate (marble is calcium carbonate) is mixed with heavy duty polyethylene (HDPE) – again from recycled sources.
Rock paper labels are durable – being waterpoof, tear proof and grease proof. These labels comply with food safety standards for direct contacts with dry and moist foodstuffs.
Unlike wood paper, Rock Paper doesn’t have a grain. In many other respects it does resembles wood paper, but with a smoother finish – due to the absence of wood fibres.
Rock paper can be recycled in the Category 2 recycling stream.
Rock paper is available with permanent and peelable adhesive.
Please note, Rock Paper Labels are significantly more expensive than paper or plastic labels. Take a look at our article on how labels are priced by clicking here.
We have a beautiful rock paper label sample, click Sample Button to get your free sample pack.
For more information on any of our products or to place your order please contact a member of our team today. Alternatively, click the request a sample and we’ll send you over some material to test.
As a food manufacturer or processor you have an obligation to ensure your labels meet labelling regulations. In 2016 the European Food Information Regulation was fully introduced and sets out in law what needs to appear on your food labels. Here’s an explanation of what needs to appear on your labels.
Name of food or drink
The name of your food or drink must be clearly stated on the packaging. If your food name gives no indication about what is in the item or how it is processed, this information is even more crucial to your consumers.
You will need to add how the food has been processed i.e salted, smoked or dried. Your name should also include a description to describe any differences to similar products for example a ‘fruit ice cream or ‘fruit drink’ should be made using real fruits. Whereas a fruit flavoured product can be used using artificial flavourings.
As it suggests, this list must include all of the ingredients used in the food or drink, even water and any additives. You will need to list the ingredients by order of weight, starting with the largest used ingredient and ending with the smallest. You need to list the ingredient names in the language applicable to where the item is being sold.
Genetically Modified (GM) ingredients
Any genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or ingredients made from GMOs must be listed or indicated on the food label. Foods made with GM technology (e.g. cheese produced with GM enzymes) or any products such as meat, milk and eggs from animals fed on GM animal feed do not have to be labelled.
Drinks containing alcohol or caffeine
Drinks or beverages that contain more than 1.2% by volume of alcohol must be labelled with the actual strength of the volume of alcohol. Beverages with high caffeine content, i.e. more than 150mg/l, have to be labelled with the amount of caffeine that they contain, unless they are based on coffee or tea. This is because drinks containing high amounts of caffeine are not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Weight or volume
The weight or volume of a food or drink must be shown on the label if it is more than 5g or 5ml. The weight or volume does not have to be exact but must be at least within a few grams or millilitres. Many food types are packages in liquid, e.g. sweetcorn, the drained weight of the food should be clearly displayed. Some foods, such as loose tea and butter, are sold only in standard amounts.
The symbol ‘e’ is used to show that the weight complies with the EU requirement for weight under the average system, i.e. the average pack is at least the weight declared.
Comparing the weight and the price of different brands allows your consumers to make choices on value for money between brands.
Nearly all foods must be marked with either a ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date mark so that it is clear how long a product is likely to last once it has been bought and/or opened by your consumers.
The ‘use by’ date is used for foods that have short lives, e.g. milk, meat, fish and are therefore not safe to eat after this date.
Other foods have a best before date, which means that this date the foods may not be at their best but most likely still safe to eat, subject to being stored appropriately. Storage instructions must be included to ensure freshness. Following storage and preparation instructions should prevent food from spoiling too quickly, lower the risk of food poisoning and ensure the food looks and tastes its best when eaten.
Other guidance on the mode of storage has become universal. For example, a simple star system is used to indicate what temperature the food should be held at and for how long:
* -6°C for 1 week (pre-frozen food only)
** -12°C for 1 month (pre-frozen food only)
*** -18°C for 3 months (pre-frozen food only)
**** -18°C or colder for 6 months (pre-frozen food; can also be used to freeze fresh food from room temperature)
Preparation and storage instructions
Instructions on how to prepare and cook the food must be given on the label if necessary. If the food has to be heated, instructions must be given for the temperature of the oven and cooking time or for how to heat in a microwave (if applicable). These instructions should ensure the food tastes its best and that it will be thoroughly heated to a core temperature of 75°C, which minimises the risk of food poisoning.
Contact details for you, the food manufacturer, who is responsible for the information on the label must be stated clearly. This gives your consumers the opportunity to contact you if they have a complaint about the product or if they need to know more about it.
Country of origin
Your label must display clearly where the food has come from. You must detail this on the label, otherwise it would be misleading not to show it, e.g. a tub of Greek yogurt which was made in the UK. This includes fresh and frozen meat. The origin of the main ingredients has to be given also if this is different from where the final product is made.
Lot or batch number
This is required under UK law but is not part of the labelling regulations. The lot or batch number is a code that can identify batches of food in the event that they have to be recalled by you, the manufacturer, packer or producer. A date mark is sometimes used as a lot mark, or a lot mark may be indicated by the letter ‘L’.
Other information
Several other details may be included on the label but isn’t mandatory includes:- recipes and cooking instructions on labels for use of the product. You may wish to include a picture of the product used as a side dish for example, however you must note that the picture is a serving suggestion only, not to show how the food product will look once removed from the packaging.
Nuts from trees (such as Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts),
Fish,
Molluscs (such as mussels and oysters),
Crustaceans (including crab and shrimps),
Soy beans,
Cereals containing gluten (wheat, barley, rye and oats),
Lupin,
Celery,
Mustard,
Sesame seeds,
Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
– that must always be clearly labelled as they are known to cause allergies and intolerances in some individuals.
According to the European regulation (which started to come into force from 2014) these ingredients or foods must be declared in the ingredients list and be highlighted in a way that makes it stand out e.g. in a different font or in bold. For example, ‘single cream (milk)’ or ‘salmon (fish)’.
If there is no ingredients list, for example on a bottle of wine that contains sulphites, the food or ingredient must be highlighted somewhere else on the label.
In the regulations, allergen information is not allowed to be repeated anywhere else on packaging. However, sign posting to the allergen information in the ingredients list is allowed. This means allergy advice boxes or statements to warn customers when a food contains an allergen or has a cross-contamination risk with an allergen are no longer allowed.
However, they can be used to direct your consumers to the allergen information in the ingredients list.
The new regulations also ensure that allergy information is provided on non-pre-packed food in restaurants and cafes, either displayed on menus or available on request.
Seven out of ten severe allergic reactions occur when people eat outside of their home so this should be especially helpful to your consumers with food allergies and intolerances.
From 13 December 2016, a nutrition declaration on the back of pack has been mandatory for pre-packed foods and has to be presented per 100g/ml or per portion.
The following needs to be included: energy value (in kJ and kcal), and amount in grams of fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt.
More information can be included but is not compulsory for monounsaturates, polyunsaturates, starch, fibre, vitamins or minerals.
If a nutrition or health claim is made on the packaging then the nutrient in question must be declared
Voluntary front of pack labelling
Repetition of certain nutrients from back of pack labelling is allowed on a voluntary basis, so if you feel your consumers will benefit from this then go ahead!
In the UK, following new government guidelines, a consistent front of pack labelling scheme has been implemented combining guideline daily amounts (GDA) traffic light colour coding with high, medium or low text.
If you have a colour label printer , BarTender (the label design software we tend to recommend) is able to dynamically print the ‘traffic light’ colours when printing from a database.
Voluntary front of pack labelling
Repetition of certain nutrients from back of pack labelling is allowed on a voluntary basis, so if you feel your consumers will benefit from this then go ahead!
In the UK, following new government guidelines, a consistent front of pack labelling scheme has been implemented combining guideline daily amounts (GDA) traffic light colour coding with high, medium or low text.
If you have a colour label printer , BarTender (the label design software we tend to recommend) is able to dynamically print the ‘traffic light’ colours when printing from a database.
The food labels we provide you with will be manufactured with a Grade A BRC/IoP (British Retail Consortium and Institute of Packaging) accreditation. That will give your larger retail customers piece of mind.
Just because you need to meet certain regulations for your self-adhesive food labels doesn’t mean you can’t be imaginative and have an eye-catching label.
We can create labels in pretty much any shape for you, from circular to rectangular or even a custom shape to suit your design.
We offer labels with high definition colour, foils, short and long term life and special freezer adhesives all in accordance with the food safe regulations you need to adhere to.
Remember, your product label is a very important marketing tool so you must set the right tone for your product. This is true of any product but especially food. In a supermarket filled with choice, your product needs to show that it will be delicious and high quality, so the label needs to portray this to your customers.
You need an outstanding label to reflect your high quality food and that gives all of the information the customer requires.
If you need to overprint a custom label with any changeable information, BarTender is the label software that we recommend (having worked with it for twenty years). BarTender can be configured to automatically embolden, italicise or underline any of the ingredients or allergens who you need to highlight to your consumers. It can also automatically create the food ‘traffic lights’ from data in a database. Click here to find out more about BarTender and it’s wealth of capabilities.
Call us today on 01359 271 111 to discuss your food label requirements or email info@expertlabels.co.uk.
(Clicking this button will take you to Seagull Scientific’s website where you can download a free edition of BarTender)
BarTender by Seagull Scientific
Simple to use label design software with a powerful enterprise engine.
Add text, barcodes and graphics to your label in two or three clicks.
Easily connect databases to your labels and streamline your label printing
Password protect label designs from accidental ‘damage’
Add data entry forms at print time to keep label printing simple
Use BarTender to help you design barcodes – no technical knowledge needed.
Super powerful Automation and Enterprise editions let you create label workflows, share label templates, control user permissions and print automatically based on data entry anywhere in the organisation.
Works with any label printer (unlike some other label designers).
MS Windows only.
Free Edition and then with prices from £445 plus VAT.
Are you looking for printed labels in small or large quantities, with text or data printed to your specific requirements. Perhaps for mailshot address labels, barcode labels, batch labels, product serial numbers, offer codes, etc. Sometimes having someone else to do your label printing makes good business sense. Save buying printers and software and stocks of labels, and have us print your short run label jobs.
Many sizes of labels are available in various materials to suit all applications. We can provide standard paper labels with permanent or removable adhesive, waterproof and tearproof materials for outdoor use or for more demanding environments and many others.
More than just Barcode Label Printing
We work with our customers to provide a wide range of different printed label requirements such as
If you have some questions or would like further information – talk to one of our experts – call 01359 271 111 or email us now at info@expertlabels.co.uk Alternatively have a look at our our guide on the following pages http://expertlabels.co.uk/services/barcode-label-printing/
For some of our clients (such as pharmaceutical, clinical trials or military contractors) strict, secure document workflows are an essential requirement in order to meet regulatory compliance. In this article we’ll look at how we can set this up for labelling and documentation using Seagull Scientific’s BarTender label design software.
Let’s start with an example. Palio Care (I’m making this name up for reasons of commercial confidentiality) work in clinical supply. They manage the distribution of drugs for pharmaceutical clients working on clinical trials.
In order to comply with strict QA rules they need a labelling system that combines:
Security – only authorised users could undertake label design, QA checking and printing.
Strict Document Workflows – labels could not be printed before they had been checked over by a qualified and authorised person.
Detailed Audit Trail – records were kept of who did what and when in order to provide evidence for compliance audits.
After researching the market, Palio Care found two suppliers who were able to fulfil these requirements – along with being able to design labels and documents with ease and speed.
Seagull Scientific’s BarTender and… er, let’s call them Pyramid. I have to admit, I don’t know much about Pyramid as a company, but they were dismissed on cost grounds.
Remote Access Label Design Software
Palio Care works with a remote workforce as well as offices in the UK and US. They wanted to use BarTender through Citrix and after a few hours configuration by their IT manager, they had it operational. Citrix gave remote users a secure cloud based environment in which to run BarTender. If you’d like help or advice setting up a remote access label design system, contact us, we’d be pleased to help.
Let’s Look at How We Set it Up.
First, we’re working with Seagull Scientific’s Enterprise Automation edition of BarTender 2016. It’s the top of the range edition with integration to ERP systems (including SAP and Oracle), full document history and, of course, user and group permissions as well as workflows. BarTender Enterprise Automation edition is licenced on the number of printers that are being used. That means it can be used across the entire network on as many computers as you wish – without additional cost. BarTender Enterprise Automation Edition uses a MS SQL server database to maintain a central library of documents that any number of PC’s can access.
Configuring BarTender Workflows
Using BarTender’s Librarian companion app, we set up a simple workflow. We set up our workflow in such a way that an edited label needed to be checked over by QA before being approved by the client. Once the Palio Care’s client had approved it, the label state could be changed to Awaiting printing.
BarTender 2016 Workflows
BarTender Security Settings
Now we had the workflow defined, we gave users permission to change file states.
From the Administration Console’s Security tab, the user or group in question was configured to allow it to change certain stages.
BarTender file states security settings
For example, a ‘print operator’ group of users can’t approve or edit labels.
How the BarTender System Works
This is how we configured our BarTender solution to work for Palio Care.
A label designer designs the label document and saves it by checking it back into the document library. BarTender prompts the designer to comment on what they have done and has them identify what stage the label is at. In Palio Care’s situation, the designer can only continue editing it, or they can move it to the “Awaiting QA Approval” stage.
BarTender Change File State
With a new stage identified, the QA user is now able to check the label out of the library and carry out their character by character check to ensure the label is correct.
Once satisfied, QA checks the label design back into the library (BarTender has them check their label back in by saving their label design) and update the file’s stage to awaiting Client approval.
With the label checked for quality, in the case of Palio Care, the label is added to a form and sent to the Project Manager who has contact with the client. Once the document is reviewed by the client the Project Manager has the security privileges to be able to go to the document library and change the label’s stage. Now the label is awaiting printing.
With the label at this stage, the Print Operator can print the labels.
Another convenient companion app with BarTender is Print Station. Using Print Station, the Print Operator is able to quickly find the label they need to print, specify which printer they want BarTender to print to and choose how many labels they want. No need to go into the design parts of the BarTender applications.
How We Can Help with Your Labelling Project
If you want to implement a compliant labelling system in your regulated business, we can help – in the UK or internationally.
We have a complete set of system validation documentation (in English) that we can use with your project.
Give us a call or contact us through our contact us page. Alternatively, email us at info@expertlabels.co.uk and request a project plan to help with your labelling system installation.
Useful Links
Visit the BarTender page on Seagull Scientific’s website:
If you have goals to reduce your organisation’s environmental impact or one of your brand values is to protect the planet, biodegradable labels might be the answer. Our biodegradable labels are all certified (European Compostable Packaging standard, EN 13432) to be free from toxins and designed to break-down without a trace. Choose to compost these labels or recycle them – with these labels you can do both.
As well as being bioegradable and compostable, these labels are made from sustainable and renewable materials.
The paper used to make our paper labels comes from FSC certified sources and the plastic material is made from cellulose, a material made from wood. The wood for cellulose again comes from FSC certified sources.
These two images are of biodegradable labels that have been exposed to the weather outside our office.
10 Month Old Biodegradable Paper Label
Biodegradable semi gloss paper labels (FSC certified by the Forest Stewardship Council) are suitable for a wide range of promotional and industrial label uses and we can offer these plain or full colour printed. This material is printable by most printing methods including thermal transfer. Shelf life: in cool dry conditions, several years.
Biodegradable (FSC certified) matt white thermal transfer printable labels are ideal for situations where label presentation is less important (i.e. warehouse labels, outer case labels and labels for in-house identification). This material is printable by most printing methods including thermal transfer.
Shelf life: in cool dry conditions, several years.
Biodegradable and compostable white high gloss film labels are available, with a print receptive top coating. These labels are great for food items including fruit and vegetables, drink bottles and healthcare products and can be printed in full colour to a high standard. All the labels are compliant with the European Food Regulations for direct contact with dry, non fatty food items. The adhesive used is acrylic based and biodegradable. The labels are water and tear resistant
Shelf life: in cool dry conditions, six months.
Biodegradable and compostable clear gloss film labels are available, with a print receptive top coating. These labels are also especially good for food items and healthcare products and can be printed in full colour for a high quality presentation. All the labels are compliant with the European Food Regulations for direct contact with dry, non fatty food items. The adhesive used is, again, acrylic based and biodegradable it sticks well initially and maintains it’s adhesion. Water and tear resistant.
Shelf life: in cool dry conditions, six months.
For more information on any of our products or to place your order please click the chat button in the bottom right or contact a member of our team today.
Swing tags, or swing tickets, come in all shapes, sizes, thickness, colours and materials. Choosing the right ticket for your product can feel overwhelming, but that’s where we can help! Read on to find out more about swing tickets and how we can help you.
Swing tags can really set the tone for the product you’re selling. From rustic and charming to elegant and luxurious, your swing tag can be made to suit your product and strengthen your product awareness in the marketplace.
Swing Tags can make your product stand out
The first thing you will need to think about is what style of swing tag (or swing ticket) will match your products. If you’re a vintage clothing shop, a brown craft card with jute string will give a rugged and down to earth vibe. A high end gift shop might want a more finished and classic tag such as a thick, crisp white card, custom shaped with a nickel eyelet and a beautiful ribbon. Both of these could be printed both sides with a colour or even a foil effect. The possibilities are endless! Once you have decided on the material and print colours, you can choose from many stringing options such as elastic, ribbon and string.
Fancy adding a final touch? Eyelets are a truly eye catching detail to add to your swing tag. Choose from nickel or brass to make your ticket really stand out.
Need your swing tag to be tough and functional? No problem. Waterproof PVC or our superbly robust Tyvek are brilliant options. Again, both of these materials can be printed both sides and strung to suit your needs. Many of our customers choose to use a brass or nickel eyelet to strengthen the drill hole and a strong cord or elastic stringing.
We can also provide health and safety tickets for you. This can be anything from warning messages to maintenance tags. We can provide these tags on bright coloured card, PVC or Tyvek and with washered drill holes to minimise the chance of tearing. We also hold all of the standard health and safety symbols and graphics you may need.
Call us today on 01359 271 111 to discuss how we can help you with your swing tag requirements or email us at info@expertlabels.co.uk.
Expert Labels supply synthetic (plastic) stock labels with a delivery time of typically 5 days. The labels, which are available in plain gloss white and plain satin silver, are waterproof, chemical and solvent proof. They are durable and made from tear proof PET material with a high performance permanent adhesive and are made for printing with standard thermal printers.
These labels are really well suited for use outdoors and can even withstand temperatures up to 145 degrees C.
How to order
Find the size you want on the tables below.
Decide how many rolls you want (the price drops if you order more rolls),
Note the label reference you want and how many labels you want.
As a food manufacturer or processor you have an obligation to ensure your labels meet labelling regulations. In 2016 the European Food Information Regulation was fully introduced and sets out in law what needs to appear on your food labels. Here’s an explanation of what needs to appear on your labels.
