TheChocolateLifeLIVE – Labeling for Packaging Deep Dive

I was prompted to visit this subject in reaction to my being a judge for the 2023 Craft Chocolate Challenge. One of the main aspects of the judging is to provide feedback and there is an emphasis on responding to the packaging.

During this livestream I am not going to be critiquing any of the actual packaging I was asked to evaluate as a judge in this competition. Instead, I am going to be taking a look at:

1. What is required on chocolate bar labels in the US.
2. What you should communicate – as a craft chocolate maker – to differentiate your products on the shelf.
3. Usability factors.
4. Design (while not a professional graphic designer I did study graphic design while I was at RISD and I took classes from Edward Tufte).
5. Process – how to approach the packaging / label design process to make sure you’re not overlooking anything obvious.

Resources

CPG Sec 515.800

This compliance policy guide explains that the label of a nonstandardized food that bears no artificial chocolate flavor or natural flavor derived from a source other than cacao beans may bear the term “chocolate” (in contrast to “chocolate flavor”) if the product meets certain specified conditions.

FDA<a href=”/taxonomy/term/820″ hreflang=“en”>Office of Regulatory Affairs</a>

Food Ingredients & Packaging

Ingredients, food and color additives, packaging, and food contact substances.

FDA<a href=”/taxonomy/term/816″ hreflang=“en”>Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition</a>

Guidance For Industry Food Labeling Guide

Guidance for Industry: Food Labeling Guide

FDA<a href=”/taxonomy/term/816″ hreflang=“en”>Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition</a>

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) | Agricultural Marketing Service

Agricultural Marketing Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Facebook Twitter YouTube GovDelivery Instagram Flickr RSS

The US FDA Small Business Exemption from Nutrition Labeling: Who Qualifies?

Recently, after seeing a photo of a Dick Taylor bar with a nutrition facts panel on it, I posted on Facebook asking how a company the size of the Mast Bros could possibly still qualify for a small business exemption from the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA). With sales reportedly to…

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