Demand for local and specialty products continues to grow, and Memjet single-pass inkjet solutions are helping manufacturers of these products keep pace with that growth by powering a range of packaging and labeling solutions. These next-generation printing solutions let small manufacturers integrate labeling and packing directly into their production process, creating a quality look and feel for the product while reducing waste, improving efficiency, and saving money. Food and beverage manufacturers can learn more about these solutions at an upcoming webinar and at the Pack Expo trade show, November 6–9, 2016, at the McCormick Center in Chicago, IL, USA.

Consumers today are looking for locally produced products prepared with fewer ingredients. The Specialty Food Association’s “State of the Specialty Food Industry” report noted that total sales of specialty foods in the United States grew by over 21% between 2012 and 2014, with more growth expected in the future. To keep pace with the demand for these products, these manufacturers are looking for resources that can accommodate the small economies of scale and fast pace of production that are the foundations of these businesses. This type of responsiveness is vital in the area of label and package production.

“Label and package production represents a particular challenge for these small manufacturers,” explains Kim Beswick, general manager of Memjet’s Desktop Division. “Although these products are produced in small volumes, the packages and labels used for these products still create the same complexities that larger manufacturers encounter. Colors, logos, product details, and customer promotions all must be represented flawlessly and professionally. To succeed in this new paradigm, manufacturers must adopt processes that enable them to produce the high-quality labels and packaging their products require, easily and cost effectively.”

To meet this demand, small food and beverage manufacturers traditionally turn to a local label converter or printer to produce their labels and packages. However, these third-party suppliers require long lead times and high order minimums that can cause delays in production and expensive waste when packages or labels must be changed. Memjet-powered inkjet solutions are designed to give manufacturers the control they need to produce full-color, high-quality labels and personalized packaging quickly, efficiently, and affordably.

The technology from Memjet-powered solutions can be integrated easily into the manufacturing process. With a Memjet-powered solution, food and small consumer goods manufacturers can produce personalized color labels and packaging in-house whenever they choose. Whether the batch size is one or 1,000, these Memjet single-pass inkjet printing solutions can print quality labels and packaging on demand at any quantity with any custom design. These labels match the quality of labels produced by outside suppliers at a lower cost and with less waste.

Moreover, these printing solutions can turn the package or label into a personalized communications channel, giving the manufacturers an easy way to include targeted messages, images, colors, decorations, and fonts, whatever will resonate with specific customers. This type of personalized packaging helps create a greater connection with the recipient, a critical benefit in an e-commerce relationship.

To take just one example, Kanani Foods has realized a 94% savings in its labor cost by taking control of its label production. Located in Las Vegas, NV, Kanani Foods provides grab-and-go meals for area casinos and golf courses. “Every time we pitched a new account, the prospect would say, ‘Your product tastes great, but your labels look hideous,’” says Tim Cruz, general manager at Kanani Foods. “Back then, we just did what the FDA made us do. We had been so focused on producing the best food that we overlooked the quality of our labels.”

As Kanani Foods looked to update its labels, it considered outsourcing label production. However, the company prints about 20,000 labels for 195 products on a daily basis. The expense, management and warehousing of that number of labels eliminated that option. Instead, Kanani Foods produces its labels in-house with a Memjet-powered Afinia L801 printer.

“What’s nice about the Afinia printer is that I can easily set up the print schedule to print all the labels in one batch,” says Cruz. “We have different products for different customers, and the solution’s variable data capabilities allow us to print all the same-size labels at once. We have USDA customers who need specific labeling and branding and other customers who require different looks. We wanted a solution that could give us the ability to both achieve compliance and create great brands. The Afinia printer is that solution.”

Memjet is also hosting an upcoming webinar, where a food manufacturer will discuss how taking control of label production has helped enable the company to realize a cost savings of 94%. It will take place on Thursday, November 10, starting at 2 p.m. EST. Registration is available at [email protected].