Last year, as a result of the scandals around our food not being properly labelled and recent scaremongering over sugar and salt content in our packaged foods, we surveyed people and found out that 31% do not trust the information provided on the labels. This year, we’re focusing in on something just as important: our pets.

Pets are everything to us, they successfully complete our homes, bring so much life towards our own and are a big part of our family. We would do anything for them, and as such would follow in their shoes or paws. The big question is: Are we supplying enough protein and nutrients for our cherished pets? In the bags of food we buy for them, can you get the correct information from the labels?

Some pet owners are unaware of the extra requirements needed for their cherished animals. We’ve spoken to independent pet food brand McAdams PetFoods and put together an infographic highlighting how pet food is currently labelled. The objective is for this to help notify people of the choices they have in their pet food purchases and allow them to make informed choices.

Recognising correct label information

Protein is important, not just for us humans, but for animals also. It originates from meat, fish, eggs and some plants. It is the value to steadily maintain healthy growth and survival.

Look out for labels on pet food you buy, as it’s important to make sure your much-loved animal is taken care of the right way. The labels should state feeding guidelines, to help people safely distribute out the correct amount of food portions for their beloved pets. Under supplying and over doing are both actions of risk towards the animal. The label should also state how to accurately store one’s supply of pet food, stating either a cool and dry place, to being in humid conditions.

Samples of pet food can be supplied to people to try to see whether it’s appropriate and satisfies their animal, whether or not to purchase and continue to buy more, or to skip and move onto the next brand. However, putting all the information onto a small packet can be tricky.

The same labelling rules apply to samples of pet food products, in however way it’s showed as long as the information reaches out to people. Displayed either on product packaging itself, if it’s able to fit, or attached to the packaging.

Issuing correct foods

Taking the example of dogs, ranging from all different sizes in weight, height and width from one another, altered protein needs to be given out correctly in the exact amount. As over use or under use of protein can be a bad thing. But even within good quality dog foods, the levels of protein compared to other ingredients can be very variable.

Creative Marketing

Often on labels, the important section is a small print not necessarily meant for our eyes and we tend to skip over reading it. However this likely could give you additional information about your beloved pet that you might be unaware of.

They state words that sound good but may conceal the behind the scenes manufacturing process so that it doesn’t truly explain to us the lower quality of the food our pets are getting. What consumer understands exactly what “animal derivatives” is when they see it in the ingredients list? Do you know exactly how “meat meal” is made and what it is?

As a call for less creative marketing on pet food labelling and clarity over what is going into our pets’ foods, we’ve spoken to McAdams PetFoods, an independent dog food manufacturer who strive to give consumers a choice, having all the facts about how their pet food is made and where the ingredients are sourced.

Neil McAdams, Managing Director of McAdams PetFoods said:

“Most customers view dogs as family members. We want the best for our pets’ health as we do for our children. With creative marketing, terms to describe food that is not necessarily made with fresh or ethically sourced ingredients can sound as if they are. It’s hugely important that the labelling makes it clear enough for consumers to be able to make the choice, to have all the facts to be able to make an informed decision. We strive to give consumers a choice, and this can only be successful with honest and clear labelling of ingredients including how and where they have been sourced.”

We have collated the information into an easy to read and understand infographic in order highlight and clarify terms which consumers may find misleading and to better explain them.

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Posted in Custom labels, General by Philip

A couple of months ago, we decided to run a survey to find out what people thought of tamper proof labels – they’re one of the most necessary items that we sell to businesses, being absolutely crucial in certain industries, from official departments in healthcare, government and defence to everyday jobs such as confidential office work and education. We’d heard the stories and read the complaints though of some end users, particularly in retail, that tamper proof labels can be a nuisance, leaving sticky residue on items they’ve bought or being near impossible to remove. And so, we ran our survey.
We asked 529 people whether they found tamper proof labels to be a nuisance or a necessity, and found that nearly half of these found them to be annoying. Our evidence went out as a press release that was published at Fresh Plaza among others, and we had the opportunity to hear back from lots of influencers about their thoughts on using tamper proof labels in retail. We know from an industry perspective how crucial our tamper proof labels can be to those using them to deter theft on everything from high value items to smaller goods in high street retail stores, but it really helped to reinforce our message hearing from people who work or have worked in these environments on a daily basis and understand just how necessary they are, from big businesses to small.
We’ve gathered some of the stories that bloggers and influencers shared with us together to show just how important they are for those working in the industry and other issues that those working in customer facing jobs deal with on a daily basis – maybe it’ll make consumers think twice when purchasing something with a tamper proof label attached or when making a complaint!

“Customers are shameless. Returning full price items to buy them back then and there at sale price? Seen it 100 times before.” – Lizi at Glasses Girl

“They’d put a sticker that said £20 on a pair of £45 shoes, but you would notice it wasn’t the right code, or when you rung it through the till the description wouldn’t match. I tried to be as on the ball as I could, but I’m sure people must have got away with it some of the time – else they wouldn’t bother, surely?” – Jodie at Jodetopia

“I can’t tell you how many times people attempted to steal things and it never was one or two items, they tried to steal loads of things every time. Even when we introduced tamper proof labels to the store, people were still attempting to grab and dash. The labels always did the trick and there was no thefts with them on.” Laura at Laura Knows Lifestyle

“Whilst working in retail as student I watched a lady take a price label from one handbag and change it with another, she then proceeded to try and purchase it. Once informed the price was incorrect she battled it out. “The Customer is always right” she said, “you HAVE to honour the price on the item” she exclaimed.” – Lisa at Leelee Loves

“I’ve experienced a lot, from accidentally smashing a few too many nail polishes for the Boxing Day sale prep, oops! to dealing with the most difficult customers. Another which was always an absolute nuisance was customers with clearly very fiddly hands who liked to take off tamper proof labels as if I somehow wouldn’t notice.” – Vanese at Vanz the Machine

Posted in Feature by Philip

Can we claim that 2015 has been the year of online hacks scams? Yes, scams have been around for years – did you know that the “Nigerian Email Scam” has been around since the French Revolution? Even before the age of computers, emails and the internet even existed, innocent people were being cheated out of their money in malicious ways.

But now, in the online age, scams have become more and more sophisticated so that even a person who has grown up with the internet and is educated in its ways can easily get caught out by security breaches and fraudulent emails that appear to come from friends, family or a trusted source such as their bank or internet provider (as we’ve seen with big hacks in recent years including Sony in 2014 and TalkTalk only a couple of months ago).

Here at Data Label, we have created an infographic to bring a higher awareness to online scams and explain what’s going on behind the scenes when you receive one of these malicious emails as well as providing some tips on what to look out for to help you avoid being caught out by one.

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<a href="https://blog.data-label.co.uk/online-scams-how-to-avoid.html"><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/infographic-animation-3.gif" width='500'></a><br/><a href="https://www.data-label.co.uk/">Online Scams & How To Avoid Them</a>

Posted in General by Philip

With business wanting to ensure that their equipment is protected at all times, security labels are now being used more frequently to ensure that these are not stolen or tampered with. Two of the ones most frequently used are Void labels and Tamper Evident seals.

With the void label, these are designed to leave the word VOID on the product if the label is tampered with or an attempt is made to remove it from the equipment. This clearly indicates that the equipment has been tampered with, or it has been mistreated in some way.

On the other hand a Tamper evident label is designed so that it will split or break apart if any attempts are made to remove it or interfere with the equipment by trying to open it for example.

The labels cannot be reused or repaired once they have been tampered with. These labels are used quite frequently as a packaging seal to provide evidence that a package has been tampered with or an attempt has been made to try to force it open, for example tamer evident labels are frequently seen on CD’s and DVD’s.

So with these two types of label it can be seen that they have a deterrent effect against misuse or theft, the labels can also be used to provide a suitable way to identify the equipment. This type of label will feature a numbering system or barcode system for identification.

Posted in Security Labels by Philip

With fierce competition it is hardly surprising that companies are running out of ideas to promote their organisation creatively, the usual ones are widely used and lose the power of being unique. Printed custom labels are one of the more innovative techniques that one can employ to enhance a brand image, they can also improve business appeal and create more customised products.

All that is required to create a unique customised label for your business is to let your imagination run free and jot down some of the ideas and you can leave the rest to us. You will soon see that these will help promote your business and are available in different shapes and sizes and huge range of colours. The label ideally will have the company logo embedded onto it and also can be personalised to represent any industry using particular symbols.

Printing your custom label is of the upmost importance and we have invested in the latest digital print technology, which eliminates the need for expensive print plates. When custom labels are digitally printed and used they add on to the promotional quality of your product. Custom labels printed digitally ensure high quality images at low prices. A good quality image is determined by a good print, contact us by ‘phone on 01293 551520, or email at sales@datalabel.co.uk and we will be happy to discuss all the aspects on producing a unique custom label for your business and of course provide you with a no obligation quotation.

Posted in General by Philip

The barcode has a multitude of uses, for example they can be in the retail sector for pricing, also document tracking, the tracking of goods or equipment, inventory control, and asset management. There are a number of stages that will go into the production of barcode labels, all of which ensures the high calibre of the product.

Two of the stages are generating the actual image for the barcode; this is normally achieved through thermal transfer. We then add the adhesive and there are a number of different adhesives used in the production of barcode labels, dependent upon the surface they will be used on and the environment the product will be stored or used in.

We can supply the most popular EAN-13 (retail), codes 128, 39 and QR formats and by utilising the latest digital print technology we can incorporate company corporate colours on your labels, the barcode label can be customised, for example you may wish to incorporate elements such as a company logo with your barcode labels. delivered within a matter of days!

We offer a range of materials, again this will depend upon the environment the label will be used in and although normally these are on white paper or even polypropylene materials. For more demanding situations such as on an item which could be subject to harsh environments, they can be produced with polyester and aluminium.

Posted in General by Philip

For any company which owns modern high-tech electrical equipment and valuable machinery keeping them tagged is vital but the tags or labels have to also be able to withstand the harshest of conditions. Tagging your assets allows you to track them constantly as well ensuring they are a deterrent to thieves.

With asset label it is no longer necessary to keep huge files of all the equipment owned by the company you can simply have all the information labelled with a barcode. Whenever required, the information can be scanned via a bar-code scanner.

For heavy equipment, there are a variety of labels to choose from depending on the purpose you need, these would normally have tough metallic labels which can survive harsh conditions such as exposure to corrosive chemicals and intense heat. The information is carefully sealed within aluminium and protective anodising and is protected for years, against heat, cold and physical damage. Teflon is another material which can and is used for labelling heavy machinery subject to these conditions.

If your equipment will be used outdoors and will be exposed to moisture, steel labels are ideal for the purpose as this is anti-corrosive and can withstand harsh weather. The steel label is also extensively used within the food and catering to ensure that there can be no contamination from metal or other materials. With steel labels’ the data and barcodes are super fused onto a stainless steel surface and able to withstand temperatures of up to one thousand degrees.

Contact us and we will be pleased to discuss with you the many options available for asset labels’ that might be subject to harsh conditions.

Posted in Asset Tags by Philip

When barcodes are used on industrial equipment for the purpose of asset tracing or when hired out, the label has to be durable and by durable this means that it must withstand corrosion, heat, cold, UV light and solvents.

A variety of materials can be used for this type of barcode; these could be listed as warehouse barcode labels, industrial use barcode labels and polyester barcode labels. The kind of material from which the barcode is produced is not the only factor, printing is of equal importance and this will depend upon the printing technology used. In order to print long lasting images, thermal printers are used; you will find that these thermally printed labels are scratch-resistant and far more durable than ordinary labels.

Under normal circumstances barcodes are manufactured using white paper or polypropylene, but for use in industrial situations, where durability is essential, we can print on premium materials such as polyester and aluminium. We find that these more durable labels are found in engine bays or attached to heavy duty machinery, where chemicals or possibly abrasion are commonplace.

Adhesive is also an important part of ensuring that the barcode is durable, we are always pleased to discuss the right adhesive when we know the particular application for the barcode and the environment in which it is likely to be used.

Contact us and we will be pleased to discuss the various options which are available if you have the need for durable barcode labels.

Posted in Barcode Labels by Philip

If you have a business, it’s important that you secure your assets and the best way to do this is by attaching an asset label. All the relevant information is stored on a database which will ensure that all your assets are recorded including their monetary value; this can help your business efficiency.

Asset labels and tags are available in a wide range of different options ranging from tags that are highly durable so suitable for industrial use, to tags which although they can be manufactured using a variety of materials, they do not focus on the wearing properties as much, but instead feature a barcode or a brand name for ease of use. Asset tags should be fitted to all of your company property such as laptop computers, and by adding a barcode it is a simple task to swipe with a barcode reader to ensure that your inventory registers are up to date.

It is possible of course to use an asset label as a way of further improving the brand name or status of the company. Branded asset labels work especially well for hire shops where the asset tag proves vital for inventory control and the brand message helps promote the store which hired the item to the customer.

If you would like more information about how asset tags could work for your company, call us on 01293 551 520, or email sales@datalabel.co.uk and we will be pleased to discuss the many options with you.

Posted in Asset Tags by Philip

Yes, product pricing is a vital function of a barcode; it enables goods presented to a cashier, or at the checkout, to accurately display the price of the item, this ensures that the products are labelled with price and product information and this in turn reduces labour costs. Prices and details can be changed on the main system without the need for relabelling items, is one example of cost saving.

The barcode has other important functions which helps business to run efficiently, for example for businesses that ships out goods to individuals or perhaps to other companies, the barcode can be used to accurately track the progress of shipments. This means that it is possible to check on items which may have been reported missing, delayed and as proof of delivery.

Similarly, document tracking between departments or other companies is another use for the barcode, you can mark documents with barcode labels to ensure they are properly filed, sent and received on time.

Stock and inventory control are vital operations in any well run business and by using barcodes it will make his task simpler and easier, it also ensures accuracy. Using barcodes labels for inventory and stock taking ensures that mistakes which can occur through human error are drastically reduced, or even eliminated.

If you believe that our company could benefit from using barcodes for any of these functions, call us and we will be happy to discuss the options with you.

Posted in Barcode Labels by Philip