In recent years, food labelling systems have undergone a rapid transformation to meet new market demands in terms of transparency, traceability and sustainability.
In recent years, food labelling systems have undergone a rapid transformation to meet new market demands in terms of transparency, traceability and sustainability, fuelled by both increasing consumer demands and increasingly stringent regulations and the need for more informative and demonstrative communication from companies from a commercial and productive perspective.
In this context, technological innovations such as digital labels, QR codes, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are influencing how food products are identified and tracked along increasingly complex supply chains. These solutions improve the accuracy and completeness of the information transmitted and also optimize logistics management processes, increasing time and cost efficiency. The ongoing evolution is a response to the critical issues of traditional systems, often limited by incomplete or outdated information in real time, for example by computer limitations.
Digitalisation of labelling systems potentially enables dynamic and detailed communication, making it easier for operators to access data in a more agile manner and enhancing the traceability at every stage of the product shelf-life. However, innovations face significant challenges, including high cost of implementation, adaptation and learning by companies, regulatory updates, and the need to protect the privacy of the collected data. The main advantages that innovation can offer over current printing modes are the following:
Transparency and consumer confidence
Innovative systems, such as smart labels and QR codes, provide more extensive and detailed information compared to simple printed labels, where space is often limited, both due to the complexity of the ingredients list and the translations into different languages. With a scan, consumers can access more specific information about ingredients and allergens, manufacturing processes, company history, provenance, and sustainability and environmental impact issues
Real-time traceability
Tags supported by RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) or NFC (near-field communication) technology allow the entire product chain to be tracked in real time, from the manufacturer to the point of sale, improving supply management and facilitating rapid recall in case of problems or complaints, such as contamination or non-compliance. This supports companies in quality management as well as consumers in safety.
Dynamic and updatable indications
Compared to traditional printed information, digital labels allow real-time updates to accommodate regulatory changes or content changes (for example, changes in nutrition information or allergens due to recipe changes or printing errors). This makes the system more flexible and ensures that the consumer has direct contact with the dynamics of products and companies.
Simplified nutritional choices
Advanced digital labels can integrate applications that customize nutritional information according to the consumer profile (intolerances, specific diets, allergies) and make nutritional information more readable, for example with colour codes. Some systems also allow you to monitor product freshness or suggest optimal consumption dates by relating them to shelf-life in real time.
Reduced environmental impact
The use of innovative systems could reduce the need for conventional packaging materials, with a lower long-term environmental impact. Integrated with environmentally friendly and recyclable materials, this approach can contribute to waste reduction, considering the current use of plastic films, for example, and the uncertainty related to the lifetime-cost-effectiveness of new materials (e.g. compostable-biodegradable films).
Fraud defence
Innovations such as QR codes and blockchain technologies help authenticate the origin of products and ensure the truthfulness of the information provided. This makes counterfeiting more difficult and strengthens the protection of the brand and the consumer, who can verify information more thoroughly than is currently possible on online shop portals or on roughly structured company websites. At the technological level, the main novelties to consider are:
Blockchain
This technology enables the creation of a secure digital record of transactions along the entire production chain: Companies can thus guarantee the origin and quality of ingredients used, offering consumers greater transparency, providing production and logistics details, and sharing certifications. Walmart and Carrefour, for example, have adopted the blockchain to track the origin of food, improving the speed and accuracy with which they can travel up the supply chain. The undoubted advantage lies in data security and protection against potential fraud, which is crucial for complex supply chains or for high-value products (such as organic or designations of origin).
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning
The use of advanced algorithms and machine learning systems allows both analysis and monitoring of product quality and the precise detection of any anomalies or irregularities in labels. Thanks to AI, the labels of the future could dynamically adapt to variables such as production date, expiry date, and traceability, and be implemented by customer feedback.
In addition, data management systems and automated label application in warehouses could be integrated, improving efficiency and reducing errors. Customizing labels to match the specific characteristics of the product or destination would improve supply chain management: For example, companies could modify information to meet local regulations or specific customer needs, simplifying international trade.
Smart labels and QR code
The introduction of interactive labels and QR codes makes it intuitively possible to access detailed information about the product and its supply chain simply by using the camera of a smartphone. This creates a more complete and tailored experience for the customer, who can thus perfect the purchase with awareness and communication transparency. RFID tags, for example, help distributors track products during transport and shelf-life; this reduces waste and improves safety thanks to the ability to identify and contextualize anomalies in managing environmental factors such as humidity and storage temperature.
Digital “Front-of-Pack” labels
They represent a more detailed source of nutritional and safety information: Through QR codes or mobile applications, the type of classification can be explained to the consumer (e.g. Nutriscore, Nutrinform, etc.), improving food culture and the quality of choice.
Internet of things (IoT) and sensors
The integration of advanced devices and sensors along the supply chain enables increasingly complex data to be collected and monitored in real time, supporting resource management and reducing waste. Using near Field Communication (NFC) or RFID, integrated labels with micro-sensors are a real-world perspective for monitoring product conditions along the supply chain by analysing critical variables such as temperature, humidity, pH and the presence of gases produced by food spoilage, automatically updating and possibly updating the information on the packaging via app.
The limits?
- The cost and accessibility of technologies
Advanced systems such as RFID and AI entail high costs, which not all companies – especially small and medium-sized ones – are able to bear. The adoption of automated and digital labelling requires a significant investment in software, hardware and staff training. - Regulatory homogeneity
Labelling regulations differ between countries: This can be a source of complexity for manufacturers operating in international markets in the absence of standardisation tha , on the contrary, would make implementation easier. - Privacy and data security
The integration of digital labels that collect and share sensitive data can raise privacy concerns. It becomes essential to adopt security standards to prevent breaches or unauthorized use of information collected during supply chain monitoring. - Consumer education
The introduction of new technologies requires a level of technological knowledge that not all consumers possess. QR codes and smart labels, for example, can only be effective if consumers are adequately informed about how to use them and for what purpose: Information is therefore made a priority for the conscious use of these means, which – it is desirable – refine the food culture and consequently the choice of quality products.
Future Prospects
The search for a refined consumer loyalty could take advantage of technology with the creation of “customised” content based on market feedback, to increase the involvement of the consumer himself and make him an active part of the purchase and choice of higher quality products. The same feedback could influence and support the development of traceability in case of non-conformity reporting, or support product development by sending suggestions and creating an archive of real-time organoleptic tests and making the supply chain more flexible and responsive.
With the advancement of AR (Augmented Reality) and holography technologies, one can imagine in the near future labels that provide immersive, three-dimensional visual experiences with a display on a smart-phone or on a wearable device such as a headset, which could be very effective in advertising for the presentation of new products. The AR could display not only information about the product, but also animated stories, recipes, or nutritional values.
Smart labels could interact with household devices, such as refrigerators or virtual assistants or home automation systems, and facilitate household inventory management, for example by sending notifications to the consumer when a product is close to expiration, or suggesting recipes with available ingredients the or replenishment of running-out products, in the same way as real-time inventory, in order to also reduce waste and optimize meal planning and nutritional monitoring based on set dietary regimens.
