THE ART OF FOOD LABELS

Food labels have transcended their informative role and become an art. Companies around the world invest huge amounts of money in their food labels.

When creating new food labels, a company has to consult consumers, their providers, their direct clients (for example, supermarkets) and professional designers. Decades ago making food labels was a lot simpler. It only needed the name of the product, the logo and some colours.

But that isn’t the case anymore for food labels. As a first step, most companies reunite with their advertising agency and discuss their new ideas on food labels. After all, the market is always evolving, and the same thing goes for food labels.

Due to standardization and global markets, supermarkets have become part of the process for creating new food labels. After all, the product could be sent to the European market, where many languages are spoken. Or to Canada, were there are people who speak English and French.

On the other hand, different populations have different preferences of colour. Food labels should include these preferences since it is one of the cheapest ways to create a bond between the consumer and the product.

Finally, when different models of food labels have been discussed, there is final test: the final approval of all the ones involved in the process, from consumers to the advertising agency.

Food labels are always evolving, and this process will never stop. In the following years we may see innovative approaches to food labels. Maybe they will change of colour depending on the temperature of its surroundings.

Another possibility for the next generation of food labels is electronic paper. That is, food labels whose content changes. Although it may sound as science fiction, the technology of food labels is about to make a great leap thanks to nanotechnology.