Beverage and Bottle Labels

Beverage and bottle labels are not just colorful labels designed to attract customers, there are strict FDA food labeling criteria that beverage product labels need to meet. There are guidelines on what information needs to be included on a label and where. Here is a “food labeling guide” from the FDA updated January 2013 to help you determine what you will need on your labels. Please be aware that may have been revisions to this FDA document since this posting. If you are looking for a bottle label for alcoholic beverages, here is a helpful link from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and another link from them regarding beer. Please note that this information is very product specific and there are many different laws for different types of alcoholic beverages and the size of manufacturers.

Applications for Beverage and Bottle labels

Beverage and bottle labels come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. They are used in many different forms. They can deliver a variety of valuable information, drawing the consumer’s attention to the product and bringing clarity on pricing, brand information, promotional specials, bar codes, and ingredients. Bottle and beverage labels have many functions and placements:

Colorful, eye-catching front labels
Back-of-package or front-of-package with detailed nutritional info
Wrap-around bottle
Attached all around the product with adhesive
FDA or TTB labeling requirements

Special shapes can be used to highlight products and add appeal to stock packaging containers. Self-adhesive Instant Redemption Coupons (“IRC”) can provide on-pack discounts, rebates, and promotions. IRCs can be an economical addition to the customer’s existing packaging for added value.

Conditions for Beverage and Bottle labels

Beverage and bottle labels have to adhere securely under different and often challenging conditions. They must stick to plastic, glass, or other materials, which may be wet, frozen, refrigerated, or subject to high heat environments. Handling, product material, temperature conditions, humidity, and product shape affect performance. Some important considerations for beverage and bottle labels are:

The temperature the product will be stored at: Will it be refrigerated, room temperature, or frozen? Will there be moisture in the environment? Specialized labels with different adhesives are used for refrigerator and frozen items.
The material of the product: Will it be going on an aluminum, steel, glass, or plastic product? Different types of adhesives are used to effectively attach a label to different types of materials.
Shape of product: Labels that wrap around package corners may require a different adhesive and a flexible base material compared to labels that only attach to one side of a product.

No matter which of these conditions is the case, the customer, retailer, and manufacturer will need to know that the label will stay affixed, the UPC code scans properly, and the label will be an eye-catching medium to communicate with the consumer.

Master Tape Printers can meet any of your beverage and bottle label needs and ensure that they are attractive, compelling, communicate effectively, and adhere to the product.