‘Fair food’ label to debut in Florida

This blog has previously addressed the rising number of consumers willing to pay a premium price for products that have been produced by high-quality and sustainable means. This is especially true for food products, as there is a significant trend of buyers becoming more health-conscious and demanding to know more about the production process of their foods. 

As evidence of this, a new “Fair Food” label will soon arrive to help shoppers determine which tomatoes are grown under ethical working conditions. Florida has seen a dramatic push to ensure farm workers in the state have their rights to water, shade and fair wages recognized. 

According to Reuters, the new label will feature a worker hoisting a bucket brimming with tomatoes, and will help consumers make more informed buying decisions. 

So far, the source reports that a dozen major buyers, including Wal-Mart, Yum Brands and Subway restaurants are participating in the initiative. Approximately 90 percent of tomato producers in Florida have joined the program, and the state is the leading produce of fresh tomatoes in the country.

Janice Fine, an associate professor in labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers University in New Jersey, called the label “potentially game-changing like few things are.”

The “Fair Food” labeling campaign will include a premium of an extra penny per pound picked, paid on top of workers’ hourly minimum wages, adding up to $80 to their paychecks.  An estimated 90,000 workers in Florida have benefited from the program. 

Food producers and retailers need to be prepared for any changes in labeling regulations. Fortunately, in-house printing solutions from Durafast have never been more convenient or affordable. The Afinia L801 is the latest of the Afinia Color Label Printers to hit the market. Powered by Memjet technology, it can create incredibly sharp labels up to 8.5 inches in width at a resolution of 1600 DPI.