Durable Labels for Food Safety and Seafood Traceability

Food and seafood have made a splash in the news as of late revealing contaminated spinach, deadly meat, and counterfeit seafood.

With the FDA bearing down on regulations for traceability from farm to fork or sea to server, growers/fisheries must be able to identify lots/catches. Many are doing this voluntarily and are moving ahead of the Standards as they see the benefits of automating the tracking a harvest from the ground or the ocean floor.

One way to do this is by using a pressure-sensitive barcode label to identify and track the catch bins or nets.

A challenge to using labels in the field or out in the ocean is the labels are exposed to water in flooded fields, are submerged in murky fresh waters, or in salt water with tidal shifts.

It may seem obvious to choose a durable label material such as vinyl, polypropylene or polyester to survive in or exposed to water, but not all are equal. Polypropylene or polyester labels are a popular waterproof alternative to vinyl labels. Both are available in a matte or gloss finish. Polyester labels are also available in a metal-like, silver stock.

In addition to the label material, you’ll need to consider the adhesive. An aggressive adhesive with good initial tack is most often used here to adhere and remain intact.

Using a thermal printer and specific ribbon matched to your application are also part of your labeling success or failure. Depending on where you will be labeling, a mobile printer may offer the flexibility you need in the field. If you don’t have a printer, and it doesn’t make sense to invest in one, consider having your labels pre-printed.

The type of water, fresh or salt, and the length of time the label will be required to last will be important factors to ensure you get the best results.

The cost of a label is most often part of your decision. However, depending on your application, a failed label can cost a lot more than the cost of your label when you loose a catch, cannot provide traceability in a recall, or production is slowed down or halted due to a missing or unreadable label.

We recommend getting samples to test in the actual, end-use application before purchasing.  Always test, test, test.

WincoID’s Durable Labels Withstand Wet Environments

As you can see, just any durable barcode label will not necessarily survive in your daily working environment. Whether in fresh water fields, fisheries, or the Atlantic seacoast, working with the right label vendor will ensure your label will perform for the expected life-cycle.

WincoID is a label manufacturer located in Nashua, NH, not far from the busiest shorelines of the northeast coast. When it comes to choosing a label, a way to keep track of things, and help your business work more efficiently using barcodes, WincoID  has the experience to provide the solution along with reliable products and services.

For the right label, the first time. call us at 603-598-1553 and talk with David Holliday at X237 or contact us here.

Do you need to comply with the BS5609 standard for chemical drum labeling? See the label testing at “Drum Labeling Solution for BS5609”. We’ll help you with your compliance process.