Baked goods such as pastries and bread are usually related to a widely diverse packaging: bread, cookies, donuts, rolls and pastries are found either in plastic bags, flow packs, food pouches, carton boxes or glass jars. All these different kinds of packaging imply choosing the labeling or marking technology that satisfy best the needs of the industry, the producer and of course, the consumer.
Bread and pastry use a wide variety of packaging
For determining the most suitable marking technology – either thermal inkjet printing or labeling – food production managers need to pay attention to many aspects: packaging material, the production volume, standard regulations and printing information (e.g. what needs to be marked and where).
It is important to mention that baked goods such as bread and pastries are strictly regulated since the labeling and coding technologies that are integrated in the production line are in direct contact with food and that marking or labeling need to be consumer-friendly to guarantee security and transparency.
How does labeling baked goods and pastry work?
Labeling bread or pastries is not just a matter of marketing. The label’s role is key for identifying the product, it’s like its ID card. The information that we usually find in the bread and pastries labels are the name of the brand, its ingredients, nutritional information and where it was produced.
Sometimes, the label is even marked on top of it with the help of thermal inkjet printing: badge numbers and best by dates are then directly printed on the label so that the consumer finds all the relevant information on the same spot.
The absence of the information mentioned above can result in supermarkets or other distribution channels not wanting to sell the producer’s products. That is why production managers pay close attention to the possible errors in labeling in order to satisfy the strict demands of the industry.
Labeling baked goods can be often demanding from an application point of view. Labeling bread and pastries is usually done manually, because of the freshness of the products. However, in the case of industrial baked goods or high volume production, automatic or semi-automatic labeling systems are preferred for applying labels in plastic bags, carton boxes and jars. By choosing to automate the labeling process, producers enhance productivity, maximize efficiency, ensure consumer’s safety and guarantee product traceability along the supply chain.
Why Thermal Inkjet Printing (TIJ) is the best solution to mark baked goods and pastry
One of the most used methods to mark baked goods and pastries is Thermal Inkjet Printing (TIJ), which is highly preferred for pastries that come in carton boxes or wrappers. Thermal Inkjet Printing allows producers to mark their products contactless, at a high resolution and cleanly.
Consumer’s safety always comes first, and in this matter, Weber Marking Systems counts with GMP inks cartridges that are compliant with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices). This ensures that the inks used for the printing of badge and best by dates adhere to the packaging layer and do not penetrate it.
Baked goods and pastry: How to combine labeling and marking
Labeling and marking can be combined easily by putting together the label dispenser Alpha Compact and the inkjet printer Markoprint X1JET. Together, these systems ensure the automatic application of a pre-printed label and the marking on top of it right after the label has been applied.
Weber Marking Systems is your best partner
All in all, pastries and bread manufacturers need to rely on flexible and versatile labeling solutions that are able to meet current and future demands. In terms of packaging material, production volume, regulations and printing information, the industry is demanding, and Weber Marking Systems is the right partner to integrate complete, robust yet compact solutions for the labeling and marking of bread and pastries.
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