Although it’s important to consider the end-consumer when choosing a labeling material, beverage-makers also need to look at the larger labeling picture and their teams’ abilities, advises Lou Iovoli, vice president of strategic partnerships for Hammer Packaging, Rochester, N.Y. “You’ve really got to define your bottle, your packer and the labeling line options,” he says. “Develop a flow chart so you can understand from start to finish what your package is going to be, who’s going to be filling the package, what equipment they have that they can use to fill that package, and, in that same flow chart, … define what your package is going to be.”
For example, labeling material selection can be limited by the use of a specific co-packer, Iovoli says. The type of equipment the co-packer has in stock determines what labeling means are available for use, he says.