Create a Buzz with Custom Honey Labels. 

Honey labels are one of our specialties. We make custom honey labels in any shape and size, for hand or machine application and for use on all types of packaging. Honey containers are often unusually shaped and require a unique and robust label solution. The right selection of materials, embellishments and finishes will capture a honey brand’s personality, and achieve a successful labelling application.

Your honey label sells your product and sets your brand apart from others. It needs to do several things to be effective:

• Complement your other packaging,
• Stay affixed to containers throughout the product lifecycle,
• Comply with regulations,
• Present your brand to consumers, and
• (Of course) look good doing it!

Read on for our quick reference label guide for producing high-quality, creative and functional honey labels.

 

1. Design the size and shape

It is important to consider the container your honey will be packed in when choosing the size and shape of your label. There are many options, from bottles and jars through to squeezable containers. Honey containers are often interestingly shaped, and require an unconventional label shape to match. If your container is a square or hexagonal shape with multiple sides, you need to think about where your label will be positioned; curves and angles are harder to label than flat surfaces. You could also utilise the space on the top of the jar lid via an individual label, a label seal, or even a one-piece label combining a lid, seal and main section. We’ve got plenty of common-sized and shaped dies on hand or we can easily work with a custom design. Different applicators are often best suited to particular sizes and formats, so make sure to check how you will be applying your labels.

 

2. Choose your material

Your labels have an important job to do, and to be successful they need to stick to your container well, and create the right look. A simple paper label isn't going to work for every application. The following information will help us select the right material and adhesive for your specific needs:

• How are your honey labels are being applied – by hand or through an applicator (and which kind)?
• Where are you applying your honey labels – is it in a cold environment or room temperature?
• What container are the honey labels being applied to – PET, glass, plastic?
• What conditions will the honey label be exposed to once it’s on the jar?
• Will you need the ability to rework your labels? Some of our honey clients like a removable or repositionable material solution that gives them a window of time to relabel their products.

The label material you choose will have a big impact on how your honey is perceived by consumers. Metallic materials catch attention with a reflective, shiny effect. Another popular material choice is clear film because it can give an elegant “no label” look to the packaging while allowing consumers to see the honey. Other options include gloss paper or film, uncoated papers, papers with a textured pattern, or even environmentally friendly materials. Request one of our free label sample packs to see some of the possibilities.

 

    

 

 

3. Create your label content

The content on your honey label is an important part of the packaging as it tells the story of the brand and product. Most labels carry some or all of the following information:

• Brand
• Product name or description of the honey
• Provenance information such as variety, region, flora
• Weight
• Country of origin
• Ingredients list
• Nutrition information panel
• Use and storage directions
• Any warning and advisory statements
• Business information such as name and address
• Barcode
• Packing date (this will usually be overprinted on either the label or the container itself via ribbon, inkjet or laser)

The legibility of this content should be considered through size, colour and contrast. Colour choice for all elements of your label is critical, helping to solidify your brand positioning and creating an eye-catching shelf presence.

 

4.  Add embellishments that stand out

Embellishments are a great way to communicate premium and quality messages, and can be one of the first things shoppers notice about your product. For premium, high-value honey products like Manuka, embellishments are an excellent choice.

We offer the full range of embellishments for both digital and flexo printed labels:

• Hot and cold foils in a variety of colours (and even holographic patterns)
• Embossing
• Texture foil, a unique combination of foil and embossing 
• Silk screens and high builds
• Laminations (gloss, matt, and specialty)
• Gloss and matt varnishes (which can be applied all over the label or in certain areas to highlight design elements)
• Specialty tactile varnishes such as soft touch and sandpaper
• Novel varnishes such as glitter, luxury gold, scented, etc.

There are countless creative ways to incorporate these into your honey label design.

   

 

5.  Does it meet legal and regulatory compliance

Your label design and content must comply with the labelling requirements in the Australian and New Zealand Food Standards Code, or the country you are exporting to. There are very specific requirements for local and international honey labelling. Meeting these exacting standards is the responsibility of the brand owner – read up on the requirements here:

Australia: http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/generalissues/Pages/Honey.aspx

New Zealand: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/processing/honey-and-bee-products/honey-and-bee-product-processing/labelling-and-composition/

 

6.  Ensure product and brand security

Retail security and brand authenticity are two major concerns in the honey sector, particularly for high-value products which are often a target for theft and counterfeiting.

Here is how to minimise the risk of exposure to these factors:

Retail security can be assured by a labelling solution integrated with a covertly embedded EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) enabled security tag. Unlike other EAS solutions, in our unique process, we are able to insert the EAS tag into your existing label without increasing label size. The EAS tag is hidden within the label, and tagged product is not easily identifiable. This ensures maximum security impact while retaining consistent on-pack appearance.

A number of authenticity measures can be incorporated into your label to protect your brand from counterfeiting. These features can be as simple or as sophisticated as you require. We have developed a range of overt and covert brand protection label solutions including:

• Tamper evident seals
• Covert micro text patterns (as used on bank notes)
• Consecutive numbering or barcoding
• Holographic security foils
• Security die-cutting
• Laser-markable Inks
• Embedded messages
• Special taggants in the inks or hot foils which when supported by a cloud based authentication system can provide a security shield that benefits the consumer and the brand owner.

 

With options galore, we’re ready to create an eye catching, customised label for your honey brand. We would be delighted to work with you to supply your honey labelling needs. Contact our label experts to book your free label audit, where we review your labelling requirements and identify opportunities for improvement.

Auckland | Brisbane | Christchurch | Melbourne | Sydney

 

And who can resist a few fun honeybee facts!

• Honey bees have been around for millions of years, and are the only insects that produce food that is eaten by humans
• The honey bee’s wings stroke about 200 beats per second giving it its distinctive buzz
• A single honey bee worker produces about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
• The queen honey bee lays up to 1500 eggs per day, and may lay up to 1 million in her lifetime
• An industrious worker bee may visit 2000 flowers per day
• The 2015/16 season produced an estimated honey crop of 19,885 tonnes in New Zealand
• It is estimated that an average of at least 30,000 tonnes of honey are produced each year in Australia