Co-Packer Labels: Three Reasons Not to Cut Quality

The labeling industry offers a multitude of marketing choices, which can become extremely confusing. One common misconception is thinking that co-packing and private labeling are the same. However, services offered by labeling providers often vary. A co-packer or contract packer is a business offering manufacturing and/or packaging services necessary to sell one or more products. The co-packer in return earns a percentage of profits for the provided service.

This service allows a business to avoid the expensive investment of machinery and supplies needed to create labels for their products. The option is a typical solution for start-ups or small companies in several industries to cut initial costs. Food, beverage, cosmetics, and other industries are common to this labeling choice. Co-packing offers several benefits including the following:

Co-packers can purchase supplies in bulk and often have the necessary processing lines in place. Some also offer in-house research teams to assist with time and cost savings identification. When choosing to use co-packer labels, it is essential to not cut quality to save money. The following are three important reasons to keep quality in mind when considering a provider for co-packer labels.

Several products are subject to federal safety guidelines meaning that poor quality on any part could result in non-compliance. While your facilities may take absolute care in every detail of getting a product ready to reach consumers, the provider of co-packer labels might not be as particular in their processes. The first element of choosing a co-packer should be what steps they take to remain compliant with these guidelines.

If the adhesive, base material, printing technique, inks, or finish quality is jeopardized, then the label may not be effective. For example, a poor adhesive or application technique will result in the label falling off during transition or when exposed to certain environmental conditions. When inks are not compatible with the base material or an inappropriate finish is used, the label may not be legible by the time it reaches the consumer. It is essential to take time to evaluate a co-packer to ensure quality materials and processes are used to create your labels.

Low quality co-packer labels will increase the overall costs of marketing your product. This may result in requiring reprints after the labels do not perform as expected. Another result of this would be increased time-to-market for each product that must have to be recalled or labeled again. Time might also need to be spent to take on the process in house or to find a higher quality provider. By taking the time to understand your quality requirements, the risk of this result is less.

At Flexo-Graphics, we take pride in the quality of our services to customers and understand how important it is to your business. If you have been considering co-packer labels and are not certain if this is the right choice, we would love to speak with you about our services. Contact us today to learn more!