When we see a beautiful prime food label, such as an embossed wine label with delicate gold edging, we understand the power that a label can have. But what about those “boring” labels on pharmaceutical bottles, shipping containers, and generic pizza boxes? How important are they, really?
It turns out, the answer is “very,” and for reasons many end users may not understand. It’s not because of what these labels look like. It’s because how they are expected to perform.
Labels, both prime and industrial, must adhere under often daunting conditions. These include freezing temperatures, wind, rain, exposure to chemicals, and more. If they don’t, the consequences can be serious.
Let’s look at three real-life scenarios that can occur when industrial labels do not perform as expected (and why a distributor working with the right label vendor is so important!):
1. Healthcare Facility Medication Errors
A healthcare provider orders industrial labels to be used on medication containers. However, the labels are printed with low-quality adhesive that fails to stick properly under refrigeration. As a result, several critical medications are misidentified when staff attempts to administer them to patients. In one case, the patient receives the wrong medication, resulting in an adverse reaction that requires emergency intervention.
Sound unlikely? It’s not as unlikely as you might think. There are plenty of medical malpractice attorneys waiting for the next pharmaceutical labeling mistake. In fact, we’ve won a number of jobs for small vial labels (such as blood vials) because the previous label vendor chose the wrong adhesive and, as in the example above, the labels were coming off.
2. Food Packaging Recall
A food manufacturing company orders industrial labels for its packaged products, expecting them to withstand moisture and temperature changes. Unfortunately, the labels are printed with a non-waterproof material that begins to fade and peel off when exposed to humidity during storage and transportation. As a result, several batches of food products are shipped
without proper labeling, leading to confusion about allergens and expiration dates. The company is forced to issue a costly recall, damaging its reputation and resulting in financial losses.
A notable real-life example comes from General Mills. Several years back, the company recalled a variety of its products, including flour, due to potential E. coli contamination. During this recall, some of the food labels were reported to have fallen off or been damaged, leading to confusion about which products were affected.
3. Chemical Manufacturing Incident
In a chemical manufacturing plant, durable labels are ordered to identify toxic substances stored in large containers. However, the labels are printed on a material that is not resistant to harsh chemicals. During routine operations, some labels deteriorate and become illegible, leading to the wrong substances being used in production. This error results in a chemical reaction that causes a minor explosion, requiring evacuation and cleanup of the site.
Think this is unlikely? We won one chemical label job after the labels from the previous vendor had a backing without sufficient adhesion. The containers were transported on a flatbed trailer, and once the containers started vibrating on the open interstate, the labels went flying off. The shipment was delayed while company had to have new labels shipped and adhered.
These scenarios illustrate how important it is to get your specs right. Industrial labels are a highly profitable sale, but they are also specialty products that require experience and testing to ensure that they perform as expected. If you sell (or are thinking about selling) industrial labels, vet your supplier carefully!
