Which came first: the label regulations or the egg?

In some industries, rapidly changing regulations on labeling can leave companies scrambling to keep up with new requirements. The poultry industry, for example, might have breathed a sigh of relief to learn that a judge in California rejected mandatory descriptions of hen treatment on egg cartons. This reduces the burden for companies that don’t currently elaborate on the cage conditions of their livestock to overhaul their labeling strategy, which saves time and money. 

However, the case was brought before the Federal Trade Commission and the United States Department of Agriculture to advance the interests of ethical egg farmers, whose cage-free methods have become a hot commodity in grocery stores. For those producers, disclosing the origins of their products isn’t about compliance or meeting federal regulations. It’s a calling card that built an industry within an industry. 

For manufacturers and retailers in any market segment, there are qualities of products that aren’t required to be printed on labels, but that can boost your following and earn the respect of consumers. There’s no need, for example, to wait for a court to require your firm to disclose its production methods if those practices are a point of pride that sets your company apart. With custom label printing, manufacturers and retailers can spark conversations with their customers about where their goods, ingredients, materials and even packaging come from, which can inspire loyalty and even boost price points. Consumers don’t buy cage-free eggs because they’re cheaper. (As we’ve seen, they’re not.) They buy them because they believe in the corporate practice. 

Ultimately, companies can reframe labeling as an exercise of brand identity, not a compliance chore. By investing in an industrial label printer, your company can highlight its best practices while remaining compliant with federal regulations.