What does it take to create a successful pre-packaged food product? A delicious bit of food is an important prerequisite.

But on most occasions, customers make the decision to buy something well before theyve tasted it. In order to stand out at that stage, manufacturers must rely on something other than the actual food.

The Food Labels Rise to Prominence

One of the oft-overlooked ways to grab the attention of busy customers is an appealing label. This is especially true in Southeast Asia, wher packaged food and drink sales are projected to reach $164 billion in 2020, almost double the figure recorded in 2010. The stakes are higher, and every element of product presentation matters.

High-quality labelling has become a priority in the industry, and there are a few reasons why. For starters, manufacturers have realised that labels are an integral part of the branding of a product. Presenting a product consistently across marketing material helps customers understand exactly what they’re being offered.

This brings us to food labelling solutions. There are a few important details to consider before you can make your choice.

Food Labels: The Nitty-Gritty

A great food labelling solution lifts businesses in ways that you may not initially foresee. Consider, for example, the need for flexibility when it comes to printing labels.

Its possible that your food product is shipped to different regions and requires different labels to be printed based on the regulations in each area. Seasonal promotions, limited edition runs, and bespoke campaigns all necessitate on-demand colour labels. In such scenarios, it is imperative to have a printer that can adjust flexibly with the needs of each consignment.

Some manufacturers choose to go the economical route and use preprinted labels. As much as this appears to save costs, it poses its own set of problems in the current landscape, bringing more inefficiencies in the long run. Manufacturers are often unsure of the volume of labels required because sales can be hard to predict.

Additionally, preprinting doesnt take into account how label information varies with regulations in different parts of the world. These nuances make on-demand label printers the best solution for businesses in the food manufacturing industry.

Food Labels on Demand

The Epson ColorWorks C7510G Colour Label Printer was created with the various needs of the modern SME food manufacturer in mind.

The printer boasts Epsons PrecisionCore printhead technology, delivering high-quality prints at a rate as high as 40 million dots every second. The UltraChrome DL ink ensures vibrant graphics and crisp typography. This is especially important in the food manufacturing industry, wher aesthetically pleasing branding can make or break a product. An automated nozzle-check system housing high-tech sensors detect clogs and make sure that the nozzle is always clean.

The ColorWorks printers output is water-and smudge-resistant. You dont have to worry about labels wearing away if your products packaging is exposed to water, which can be the case on supermarket shelves or refrigerators.

The C7510G is especially appealing to food manufacturers because it produces colour labels on demand. It enables you to create just as many units of your product as you deem fit and print out the labels after. The printer can go as fast as 300mm/sec, so you dont have to worry about not having enough labels on time.

The ColorWorks C7510G Colour Label Printer has proved to be a compelling labeling solution for small- and medium-sized food businesses, which leads the ColorWorks series in print volume and is adept at high-mix applications. Theres also the option of going with the C3510, which is built for high-mix, low-volume use cases. It is already being used to great effect by businesses in the industry.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) of the Philippines implements the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program for farmers selling food products. The organisation provides a number of support services to farmers, including enhancing the labelling and design of their food products. Unhappy with existing label printers, DAR turned to Epson for a superior solution. The organisation now uses the Epson ColorWorks C3510 Colour Label Printer for all its printing needs.

"After getting the Epson C3510, we saw a vast improvement in product label printouts," says Milla P Lagatuz, Senior Agrarian Reform Program Officer at DAR. "The products got noticed, which resulted in an increase in sales."

The sentiment is echoed by Faye Nerissa, Sales & Marketing Director at Nathaniels Food Corporation in the Philippines. "As our business grew, it became more important to pay attention to the way we package our food," she says. That realisation led the company to the Epson C3510 label printer. "We are able to do on-demand printing, so I dont have to meet any minimum order quantities from suppliers of labels," Nerissa states. "Epson is able to give us the quality we are looking for."

DAR and Nathaniels are among many businesses across Asia that trust Epsons ColorWorks series printers for their label printing needs. Improving label quality has shown to have a positive impact on sales, and Epsons label printers help you do just that.