In the last blog post, we already touched on the topic of "beverage packaging" and described various beverage packaging options. In this post, we tie in with the topic of "beverage packaging" and explain how to label your beverages correctly, as there are EU-wide rules on correct labeling. One of the most important regulations is the new packaging law VerpackG, which we introduced in this blog post "What does the VerpackG mean for your brand?". In addition, we show you in this blog post what you need to consider for your beverage labels.

Checklist for your bottle labels

Bottle labels are an important part of your beverage. Beverage labeling is regulated throughout Europe and applies to all EU countries. The basis for the minimum information is the Food Information Regulation, which came into force in 2014 and also applies to beverages. To help you get started with the topic of beverage labeling, we have created a checklist with minimum information (Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, 2021):

1. Food name: type and description of the product (e.g. in the case of a soft drink, the product category, i.e. "soft drink", and a short description, e.g. lemony drink)
2. Indication of ingredients: All ingredients of your product must be visible, sorted by weight (for example, in the case of a smoothie, here are the fruits you need to prepare it: 30% apple juice, 20% orange juice, etc.).
3. Allergen labeling: This includes the 14 most important ingredients that can trigger allergies. For example, if your product contains caffeine or milk, it must be mentioned.
4. Net quantity: quantity of the beverage without packaging in volume.
5. Best Before Date: How long your beverage is expected to last, provided the beverage is stored properly.
6. Address of the company: The company name and address provide information about the responsibility of the product.
7. Origin labeling: The proof of where the product comes from in the form of place and country.
8. Instructions for use: If the beverage requires instructions, these must be listed, but this tends to be less the case for beverages and becomes more relevant for foods, such as baking mixes.
9. Nutrition labeling ("Big 7"): The Big 7 contains 7 mandatory statements that inform consumers about nutritional values:

As you can see, there are clear EU regulations to label food products and labels in a consumer-friendly way and to clearly highlight background information, such as product origin and ingredients. The next step in your packaging planning process is to create the artwork to finally commission your labels. We explained exactly how this works in our blog post "Print-ready designs in just a few steps".

Would you like to learn more about the topic or do you need help designing your beverage labels? Then we can recommend our individual design service to you. Our legal service will be happy to check for you whether you have labeled your information correctly. For all other questions, please feel free to contact us via e-mail at hello@palamo.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Dein Palamo Team <3