Labeling must be ready for evolving regulations

By Nick Recht, Sales Director at TEKLYNX Americas

We live in a world of ever-changing regulations, legislation, and customer demands. One of the most recent regulations making headlines in the labeling industry is the bill targeting chemicals in food packaging. The bill aims to remove unsafe substances used in food-contact materials. Much of the bill’s focus is on packaging materials, with potential downstream effects on labeling operations.

The new requirements proposed by the bill will involve material disclosures, updated product information, warning statements, recycling instructions, or revised packaging specifications. Manufacturers must ensure labels accurately reflect the latest regulatory expectations.

For many organizations, the greatest challenge isn’t understanding new regulations. It’s making sure the labeling process can keep up. It’s important for companies to start preparing their labeling now.

Regulatory change doesn’t end with packaging

When regulations affect packaging materials, manufacturers often focus first on sourcing alternatives, evaluating suppliers, and updating production processes. However, those changes trigger a series of labeling updates, as well.

New packaging requirements can impact product descriptions, ingredient information, compliance statements, internal tracking systems, and customer-specific labeling requirements. What begins as a packaging update can quickly become a large-scale label management project.

This complexity is greater for manufacturers operating across multiple facilities, product lines, or geographic regions. A single regulatory change may require updates to hundreds of label variations.

The challenge is not simply making the change. It’s ensuring that every affected label is updated correctly, approved properly, and deployed consistently throughout the organization.

Manual labeling processes create risks

Many manufacturers still rely on manual processes in their labeling. Relying on spreadsheets, email approvals, locally stored templates, or disconnected systems to manage labeling changes will result in slower processes and a greater chance of mistakes.

When labeling is manual, common issues that occur are duplicate templates, inconsistent information between locations, lengthy approval cycles, and limited visibility into label revisions. These problems can slow compliance efforts and increase the risk of costly mistakes.

To combat these issues, companies can move from a manual labeling process to automation. Label print automation eliminates the need for manual data entry, reduces labeling errors, and simplifies the printing process. Automation also supports printing across multiple locations, enables print initiation directly from any business system, and allows for zero-click printing.

By reducing manual touchpoints in the labeling process, manufacturers can improve the accuracy of labels and respond more quickly to regulatory changes.

Building a flexible labeling strategy

As regulatory requirements continue to evolve, manufacturers can take their labeling to another level by implementing a centralized label management system. Centralization creates a single source of truth for label designs, content, and approvals. A single source of truth for label data means having a system or database where all label-related data is stored, managed, and maintained. This centralization improves data accuracy, makes updates easier, and ensures compliance with regulations. By putting all label data in one place, businesses can streamline operations and reduce the risk of errors.

With centralized labeling, organizations can:

• Access labels from anywhere, eliminating the need for individual workstation installations
• Create user roles so there’s control over who can create or modify labels
• Track revisions and version history

Instead of managing labeling changes through spreadsheets or shared files, manufacturers gain greater visibility and control over the entire process.

Real-world example

Nemak, a global automotive supplier, struggled with disparate systems, limited security controls, and inconsistent validation between user roles. With multiple users accessing label templates and minimal oversight, their labeling process was vulnerable to costly errors and chargebacks.

By implementing a centralized label management solution, Nemak automated label printing and standardized their labeling environment across operations, leading to a 98% improvement in labeling accuracy. The standardized approach also created a more flexible labeling environment by giving the company greater control over label updates, approvals, and revisions. Read the full case study.

Prep labeling before regulations take effect

Many organizations wait until regulations are finalized before evaluating how changes will affect their operations. A more proactive approach begins with assessing current labeling processes now.

Manufacturers should consider questions such as:

• How quickly can label changes be implemented across all affected products?
• How easily can the incorrect label be identified?
• Is the approved label version being printed?
• Are revision and approval processes documented and controlled?
• Can new requirements be incorporated without delaying production?

The answers to these questions can show whether an organization is prepared to respond to future regulatory changes or whether process changes are needed. For companies not sure where to begin, working with a reliable labeling partners can help identify gaps and develop a strategy that supports long-term regulatory readiness.

Compliance starts with label readiness

Packaging regulations will continue to evolve as lawmakers, consumers, and industry stakeholders place greater emphasis on safety, transparency, and sustainability.

While the specific requirements may change, the operational objective remains the same: converting regulatory updates into accurate, compliant labels.

Manufacturers that view labeling as a strategic component of compliance rather than an administrative afterthought will be better prepared for whatever comes next. By investing in centralized label management, standardized processes, and controlled revisions, organizations can improve agility, reduce risk, and navigate regulatory change with greater confidence.