Supply chain freshness at a glance
Fresh produce tags are a crucial part of the food supply chain, ensuring produce arrives at the right location and time.
Hospitality venues, supermarkets and the food industry rely on tickets, tags, and crate labels to trace produce to ensure it doesn’t arrive spoiled and allows verification of authenticity and freshness.
Why are different style tags important?
Tagging and labelling play crucial roles in the traceability of produce and various other aspects of the supply chain. Tags and labels, such as barcodes and 2D codes, provide unique identifiers for each product. This
enables accurate tracking of the product throughout the supply chain, from its source to its destination.
Traceability: Essential for quality control, food safety, and compliance with regulations. Tags and labels can be used to track reusable containers such as crates, pallets, and totes. By labelling containers, businesses can efficiently manage their return logistics, reducing costs and environmental impact by promoting reuse.
Packaging recyclability: For reusable containers, it's essential that tags and labels can be easily removed without damaging the container. This allows for efficient cleaning and preparation for reuse, contributing to sustainability efforts.
Industry standards: Following industry standards for tagging and labelling ensures compatibility across the supply chain. Standards such as GS1 provide guidelines for barcode formats, data structure, and communication protocols, facilitating seamless integration and data exchange between trading partners.
Stock type: The type of tag or label used depends on the stock type and the specific requirements of the application. Synthetic materials and adhesives may be chosen based on factors such as durability, environmental resistance, and ease of removal.
Stocked tags
Stocked tags are primarily used for items that have a longer shelf life and do not require immediate consumption. They are a physical identifier for the purpose of counting, identification, and traceability. Ideally used for:
• Inventory management: Real-time tracking of stock levels, reorder points, and product alternatives.
• Pricing control: Ensure consistent pricing strategies across multiple sales channels, promotional periods, and geographic locations.
• Promotion tracking: Monitor marketing campaigns, discounts, and seasonal promotions through SKU-specific data.
Fresh produce tags
Fresh produce tags are designed specifically for perishable items like fruits and vegetables. They are suited for conditions such as moisture, water, and temperature fluctuations in storage and transit. Ideally these are used for:
• Freshness monitoring: Enable consumers and retailers to evaluate product freshness based on harvest dates and origin information.
• Traceability: Establish a transparent supply chain, allowing for quick identification and recall of contaminated or compromised products.
• Regulatory compliance: Ensure adherence to local, national, and international food safety standards, including labelling requirements and certification protocols.
Meat tags
Meat tags are crucial for ensuring consumer awareness, food safety, and industry standards. Meat tagging has expanded beyond basic labelling to now include ethical considerations, environmental sustainability, and supply chain traceability.
Uses:
• Food Safety: Managing risks associated with bacterial contamination, cross-contamination, and spoilage through clear labelling and safety protocols.
• Quality Assurance: Ensure product consistency, flavour profiles, and nutritional value by categorising meat cuts based on quality grades, marbling scores, and aging processes.
• Traceability: Implement rigorous tracking systems, enabling end-to-end visibility across the meat supply chain to verify product authenticity and origin.
Supermarket produce tags
In Australia, Woolworths, and Coles, have implemented distinct fresh produce tagging systems to ensure efficient and accurate tracking of fresh food throughout the supply chain . One notable feature is the use of pink tags for certain fresh produce items which are made to withstand the challenges of both transport and resistant to moisture, temperature changes and wear.
Woolworths and Coles’ pink fresh produce tags signify a commitment to supporting local farmers or promoting seasonal produce. To achieve this, they are also made to ensure efficient tracking of the fresh produce and to withstand colder temperatures to avoid damage from moisture or wear. insignia currently stocks these labels and are specifically designed to be compatible with Woolworths RC crate system and meet Coles QA colour specifications.
SSCC pallet labelling compliance
Supermarket and grocery retailers require a GS1 Logistics label to be applied to every forklift entry side of a pallet. Ensure compliance and reduce the risk of pallet rejection with our handy SSCC pallet labelling guide.
Tags for accurate traceability
Custom tags play a fundamental role in purchasing and procurement, offering valuable tools for inventory management and efficient supply chain traceability. Custom manufactured tags also provide several advantages over standard tags, making them a valuable investment for your business.
insignia manufactures durable thermal labels that comply with national regulations for fresh produce supermarket supply chain management. We locally manufacture the crate and freezer labels Woolworths and Coles that supply chain managers use for both fresh and refrigerated produce.
When paired with the Bartender labelling software, our produce labels streamline labelling application, provide accurate traceability information and allow timely delivery of produce to supermarkets.
Our experts can help you determine which fresh produce tag or label is right for your application.
Speak to an expert
Our product specialists can offer help or guidance on a solution that will meet your needs now and into the future and achieve compliance with the major retailers.
Tag and labelling solutions
Stocked Tags
Tags manufactured from cardstock or paper materials are an economic solution and popular for receipts, ticketing and fresh produce (RPC) crate identification. These stocks are available in direct thermal and thermal transfer and a variety of weights/thicknesses.
Fresh Produce Tags
A range of tags and labels to suit Coles and Woolworths Returnable Plastic Crates (RPC) for the fresh produce retail supply chain. In stock and ready for dispatch.
Meat Processing Tags
Food-grade, including tags for carcass identification, meat inserts and meat tags. Tags can be manufactured from a range of synthetic materials suitable for meat processing and packing environments, in various shapes and sizes, with logos and pre-printed with sequential numbers.
