Creating a custom label for your products is very easy.
Ultimately, you should refer to the FDA for all up-to-date requirements.
Accurate label design is imperative when you are introducing a new food product into the market. The information provided is not intended to be comprehensive or in any way represented as a guarantee that your label design will meet the FDA requirements. Each selling brand is responsible for their label content and any and all liability related to their labels. Please seek experienced design and legal assistance and carefully review the FDA guidelines and regulations.
To get latest FDA guidelines as of May, 2022 see here: https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/guidance-industry-food-labeling-guide
Here is the sample label:
Size Requirements:
- Maintain a 2:3 aspect ratio for the image file
- The label will be 4" wide and 6" tall
- Recommended image size is 1600px X 2400px
Let's go through the requirements by the number mentioned in the sample label.
NUMBER 1: Net Weight. (REQUIRED)
Net Weight must be clearly mentioned on your label. There are several Net Wt sizes available in our private label category.
- Net Weight can be 12Oz., 1LB, 2LB, or 5LB with a private label.
- Net Wt must be on the front of the bag (or box for capsules).
- Must not be micro-text.
- Net Wt must contain ounces and grams or pounds and ounces and grams when 1 pound or more.
Examples:
NET WT. 12 OZ. (340g)
NET WT. 1LB (16 OZ.) 454g
NET WT. 2LB (32 OZ.) 907g
NET WT. 5 LBS (80 OZ.) 2,268g
The net quantity statement (net quantity of contents) should be placed as a distinct item in the bottom 30 percent of the principal display panel, in lines generally parallel with the base of the container.
Look at food products in your home as examples. Net Wt is almost always near or at the bottom of product packages, on the front of the package, and in a larger text that is very very easy to read. It is never a super tiny text.
Note: Net Weight and Ingredients need to be together with no intervening element between them.
NUMBER 2: Distributed by. (REQUIRED)
This must be on your label. Distributed by tells the consumer where the product originates from.
You CAN put your Company Name above and show Distributed by below, but the Distributed by text must read the following:
Distributed by Temecula Coffee Roasters. Temecula, CA 92590.
The reason, it is mandatory is to comply with USA FDA regulations. Leaving this part out would be a violation according to FDA labeling requirements.
NUMBER 3: Ingredients (REQUIRED)
Ingredients must be clearly mentioned on your label.
We recommend the following:
For standard coffees, the ingredients should say “Ingredients: Coffee”
For flavored coffees, you should put “Ingredients: Coffee, Natural & Artificial Flavoring".
NUMBER 4: Coffee Identity (Required)
We support 3 types of coffee grinds:
- Whole Bean
- Standard Ground
- Espresso
The coffee type should be clearly mentioned on the label.
If your coffee is the whole bean it should be displayed clearly on the label and it needs to be the most obvious part of the label. So this means that it needs to be the largest font and displayed in a prominent location.
You have to be able to look at the label and know exactly what is in the bag. The logo will not count. So if you are named Coffee's coffee, you still need to have "Ground Coffee" in the prominent text below it.
So for Ground Coffee, you need to put "Ground Coffee" prominently on the label. For Whole Bean Coffee, you need to have "Whole Bean Coffee" prominently displayed on the label. For Espresso, it should be "Espresso Ground Coffee."
Note: Net Weight and Ingredients need to be together with no intervening element between them.
What is Not Allowed?
You cannot add FDA or Fair Trade logos, badges, or any intellectual property to the custom labels. You must be the primary holder of certification to be able to utilize those and cannot be a reseller to utilize them on your products.
Do let us know if you still have any questions.
