Pete Howells is Technical Director at Positive ID Labels. Since joining in 2008, he has led the company's digital printing operations, in-house automation, and ISO 9001 quality management. A UMIST graduate with prior experience in civil aviation service delivery, Pete writes on labelling compliance, print technology, and the realities of running a UK label manufacturer.
What Makes A Medicine Label Clear, Accurate, And Compliant? A medicine label carries legal responsibility. Every piece of information – product name, dosage, batch number, expiry date, storage instructions, is governed by regulations designed to prevent medication errors. A label that’s illegible, inaccurate, or incomplete puts patients at risk and creates regulatory liability. This guide…
Waterproof Stickers: When Do You Need Them? A label gets wet and the ink runs. Text becomes illegible within hours. The adhesive fails, and the label floats off the bottle. Standard labels fail in wet conditions because they’re not designed to survive moisture, condensation, chemical spray, or outdoor exposure. Waterproof stickers solve this problem but…
Price Labelling Gun: A Buying Guide For Retail And Catering Businesses Choosing a price labelling gun sounds simple. The wrong choice means inappropriate labels that that don’t do exactly what you need, information that doesn’t fit the product, and staff wrestling with equipment mid-shift. The right one fits your workflow so naturally that nobody thinks…
What Is Tamper-Evident Labelling – And When Should You Use It? Tamper-evident labelling is a widespread type of labelling. A customer picks up a package of vitamins; they check the tamper-evident security label. A parcel arrives; the recipient verifies the shipping label hasn’t been opened. Tamper-evident labelling serves one critical function: it shows consumers that…
Why Labelling Errors Happen And How To Avoid Them Labelling errors are rarely intentional. Yet they happen constantly: a batch code typed incorrectly, an outdated recipe on labels, a supplier change not reflected on packaging. When errors occur, the blame falls on carelessness. Usually, the real cause is system failure: the process for creating labels…
Allergen Warning Labels: Do not use ‘May Contain’ Statements Incorrectly ‘May contain nuts’ statements appear on food labels all over the place, but they’re often applied carelessly. A blanket “may contain nuts warning label” caution, rather than a risk-based assessment, is the wrong approach. This creates two problems: This guide explains when ‘may contain’ warnings…
How Long Do Thermal Labels Last – And What Affects Their Durability? Thermal labels are everywhere – warehouses, retail, logistics, and food production. But understanding how long they remain legible in real-world conditions determines whether your barcode scanning works flawlessly or fails mid-distribution. Thermal printing labels have two types with very different lifespans, and the…
Getting Farm Shop Labels Right: A UK Guide To Food Labelling Farm Shop Product Categories And Labelling Rules The rules depend on how you’re selling the product. Understanding these categories is essential. Your Own-Produced Foods (PPDS) Anything you produce and package on-site such as pies, jams, breads, sandwiches, honey, falls under “Prepacked for Direct Sale”…
Our food label compliance checklist is here to help you meet your food labelling legal obligations. Every piece of information on your label – from the product name to the fine print allergen declarations – is governed by regulations designed to protect consumers and ensure transparency in the food supply chain. But understanding this food…
Food labelling mistakes are rarely intentional. A café owner isn’t trying to hide an allergen. A bakery isn’t deliberately printing outdated information. Yet labelling mistakes happen regularly in food businesses of all sizes, from one-person operations to established manufacturers. Most errors aren’t caught until someone almost gets hurt or a trading standards inspection flags them….
Chemical Product Labelling Guides Comprehensive explanations about chemical labelling requirements Global Harmonised System (GHS) Chemical Labels & Packaging (CLP) Marine Transport: BS5609-compliant labels Worth knowing about: blog archive. Disclaimer All...
Barcodes Guides Lean about barcodes - the cornerstone of the global trade system in consumer goods. Barcode Symbologies Guide 1D Barcodes Explained 2D Barcodes Explained GS1/EAN Barcodes Guide Retail Barcode...