Label Compliance in the Food Industry: 5 Tips for Beginners

Label compliance is complex, especially if you are just starting out in the food industry. The rules can change depending on the type of product you are selling, the size of the product, and even the type of container you are using to package it.

Unless you have a label compliance expert in your team, you should consider hiring a consulting firm to help you make sure that your labels will meet all of the requirements of your industry. Here is how you can choose your label consulting firm.

1. Define your needs

Whether you need someone to review the labels of your products, or to help you create and design new labels from scratch, working with a professional label compliance consulting firm is the best way to make sure everything will be done right. Even if you are the owner of a small business, you have to make sure your labels comply with the law.

Ask other business owners if they have already worked with a good label compliance consultant, or go online to search for a few different firms that could meet your needs. When you have at least a few names, compare your options.

2. You should not rely only on the rates of a consultant

Choosing the label compliance consulting firm that asks for the lowest rates is not necessarily a good idea. Rates will vary from one firm to the other, but they will also depend on the type of label you want them to review. It only makes sense that a complex label will be more expensive to review than a simple one.

Some consulting firms will charge by the hour, while others will ask for a fixed price for each label they have to review. This is why hunting for the lowest rates might not always make sense while searching for the right label compliance consulting firm.

3. A good label compliance consultant will help you comply with the law

The role of a label compliance consultant is to be aware of the regulations of your industry, and to know what you should, can, and can’t print on your product labels. Consultants will help you comply with the law, but they won’t help you figure out what will sell and what will not.

Choose a professional consulting firm that will give you clear advice to help you create your labels. It will be up to you, or to a marketing professional, to figure out what will make your products more attractive and what will help them stand out in the marketplace.

4. Label compliance consulting firms can offer many more services

Even if you only need a few labels to be reviewed at the moment, it can be a good idea to choose a consulting firm that can offer you many more services.

On top of reviewing your labels for compliance, some firms can help you choose and evaluate your ingredients, complete allergen statements, create graphic labels that are ready to print, and provide you with translation services.

5. Ask for quotes and make yourchoice

Once you have found at least a few different label compliance consulting firms that look like they can meet your requirements, get in touch with them and ask them for a quote for their services.

If it takes a few weeks for a firm to get back to you with a quote, you might want to choose a firm with a faster turnaround. Choose the firm that asks for a competitive price, and can provide you with the quality services you need.