Avian Flu Provokes Calls for New Food Labelling

Following the recent outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in the UK, the National Farming Union (NFU) is calling for country-of-origin labels to be used routinely in supermarkets and on menus.

If this suggestion is to be implemented, huge amounts of food packaging could be wasted in order to comply with new labelling regulations. DataLase, originator of the award-winning DataLase® process, is offering an efficient, cost-effective solution with the implementation of late pack country-of-origin food labels.

DataLase has developed a process which overcomes these issues of time and cost to the labelling process. With the DataLase® process, variable information can be quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively applied directly to packaging or labels at the end of the production line by using a low powered CO2 laser.

The area to be marked is coated with DataLase® and left blank, and the information is activated at the end of the production process using the laser, which causes a white-to-black colour change. This enables packers to add information about the country of origin, date and time to the packaging as it is dispatched from the warehouse, ensuring that all information is clear to consumers in order to avoid confusion and mistrust.