MANDATORY INFORMATION
We build the review around the product category, destination market, and actual packaging format. The aim is to establish what must appear, where it belongs, and what supporting information is needed before design decisions are finalized.
Product identity: Product name, classification, licence or registration references where applicable.
Composition: Ingredient declarations, quantities, relevant source information, and applicable allergen statements.
Use and safety: Directions, warnings, storage, and other required statements.
Market-specific presentation: Languages, mandatory wording, facts tables, symbols, and responsible-party details.
Variable information: Lot coding, expiry or durability information, and designated print areas where applicable.
Commercial content: Claims, endorsements, icons, imagery, and certification references.
Where a topic needs a deeper explanation, see NHP Label Modernization, Supplemented Foods, and Bilingual Labelling for Canada.
PACKAGING FEASIBILITY
A label review should start with the actual container, not an empty design canvas. We assess the proposed format, available space, information requirements, and production constraints before recommending the next steps.
Container dimensions and usable label area.
Curves, seams, folds, closures, and label overlap.
Primary packaging, outer cartons, multipacks, and inserts.
Available space for mandatory information and variable coding.
Material, finish, and print-process considerations.
Packaging questions requiring supplier evidence or specialist testing.
When a packaging change could affect product protection or shelf life, we identify the evidence and specialist input needed. Visual suitability alone is not the basis for approving the change.
Resolve physical constraints before committing to the design.
BEYOND THE MANDATORY
01
Prominence and context
Review how claims, mandatory statements, imagery, and qualifications work together across the whole pack.
02
Readability on the actual surface
Assess text size, contrast, curvature, background graphics, and placement on the intended material.
03
Barcode and variable-data space
Review the space reserved for product identification, lot coding, dates, and associated print requirements.
04
The gap between review and print
Check that the production file matches the reviewed version and that late artwork changes have been captured.
ARTWORK CONTROL
Good artwork control makes it clear which content was reviewed, which file is current, and what changed before production. We help establish a practical record that your regulatory, design, and manufacturing teams can follow.
Controlled source copy for each product and market.
Reviewed English, French, and other required language versions.
Artwork identifiers, revision numbers, and approval dates.
Consolidated comments and documented resolutions.
Comparison of revised proofs with the reviewed version.
Defined responsibilities for final production authorization.
Archived superseded files to reduce accidental reuse.
The process can be adapted to your existing tools. It does not require a new software platform to begin.
MULTI-MARKET
Build a reusable content structure without assuming one label can serve every jurisdiction. We identify what can be shared and what needs a market-specific version.
Shared product information
Maintain a controlled reference for composition, specifications, and supporting documents.
Market-specific requirements
Assess classification, permitted claims, required wording, languages, and responsible-party information.
SKU and artwork variants
Track differences between markets, pack sizes, flavours, formats, and distribution channels.
Translation is not the same as regulatory adaptation. Each market version needs an assessment against the requirements applicable to that product.
Jurisdiction detail: Canada, United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and Australia.
BARCODES & CONNECTED PACKAGING
Consider barcode and digital-information needs while the artwork is being planned, rather than adding another symbol after the pack is full. We help coordinate the content, design, printer, and specialist requirements.
Space planning for existing and proposed barcodes.
Product-identifier consistency across artwork versions.
Coordination of GS1 Digital Link concepts with appropriate specialists.
Controlled digital destinations and language options.
Link ownership, maintenance, and content approval.
Printer coordination and appropriate barcode verification.
FOR CONTEXT
GS1’s Ambition 2027 aims for retailers to process both existing linear barcodes and approved GS1-powered 2D barcodes at point of sale by the end of 2027. Adoption is optional for brand owners, and existing UPC/EAN barcodes remain relevant during the transition.
For export projects, we can help identify packaging-information questions that need to be resolved alongside the product label. These may include material identification, sorting instructions, environmental claims, and destination-market requirements, with specialist input where needed.
EU EXAMPLE
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation began applying on August 12, 2026, with obligations introduced on different timelines. Its harmonised material-composition labelling provision applies from August 12, 2028, or 24 months after the relevant implementing acts enter into force, whichever is later, subject to scope and exclusions.
We help identify the questions to resolve before packaging is locked, rather than assuming every future requirement has already been finalized.
REVIEWED
September 23, 2026
PACK AND DIGITAL CONTENT
Artwork is one part of the customer-facing product information. We can review how the approved product position is carried into websites, retailer listings, QR-linked pages, and supporting sales materials.
Consistency of product identity, ingredients, directions, and warnings.
Review of claims introduced through headlines, icons, and imagery.
Alignment of market-specific product descriptions.
Identification of outdated pack images and superseded wording.
Review of AI-generated or automatically translated copy before publication.
Digital tools can support drafting and production, but the final product information still needs a defined review and approval process.
For detailed claims work, see Claims & Label Compliance.
Keep the reviewed artwork and the production file aligned.
WORKFLOW
Before design
Confirm the product category, target market, source content, packaging dimensions, and required information.
On the artwork
Review placement, wording, claims, readability, language versions, and the interaction between mandatory and commercial content.
Before production
Compare the final file with the reviewed version, resolve outstanding comments, and document the handoff for production authorization.
Printer preflight, physical barcode verification, line trials, and specialist material testing remain separate checks where required. We coordinate the review scope rather than treating a PDF assessment as proof of production performance.
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Packaging work does not end with the first print run. We can help assess how a change affects product information, artwork, supplier documentation, and the versions already in circulation.
Formula or supplier changes.
New claims or market positioning.
Different pack sizes, materials, or closures.
Additional languages or destination markets.
Updated regulations, guidance, or retailer requirements.
The output is a documented decision on what needs review, what needs updating, and which teams should act before the next production run.
Packaging version and change review
Two unbranded packaging mockups beside neatly arranged artwork versions, a navy project folder, and a simple planning notebook on a warm ivory desk.
Carry changes through the product, the artwork, and the next print run.
DELIVERABLES
Depending on the agreed scope, deliverables may include:
Market-specific labelling requirements brief.
Controlled source-copy document.
Annotated artwork review and issue register.
Bilingual or multilingual version-coordination record.
Packaging and barcode coordination checklist.
Final-file comparison and review record.
SKU and market-version matrix.
Change-control and implementation recommendations.
Share your artwork, packaging dimensions, product information, intended markets, and next production date. We will help define the review scope and identify the decisions that need to be resolved.