New EU labeling rules for wines

The European Union wants to significantly improve the availability and accessibility of information for all foods and beverages. Until now, wines and flavored wines have been exempt from these new strict ingredient labeling requirements, but that is about to change. Wine producers will also have to deal with new labeling rules from now on, as the exact composition of wines may change after production, bottling and storage.

As of Dec. 8, 2023, wine brands in the EU must comply with labeling requirements for all other packaged food and beverages, requiring detailed ingredient and nutritional information to be displayed on the product. The United States is also considering introducing such legislation. This is a major challenge for wine producers: not only because of the amount of information that will have to be listed, but also because of the phenomenon that the composition of (mainly long-life) wines can change significantly. Such complexity could impact regulatory compliance and consumer confidence.

Pre-printed QR codes may not meet regulations 

The new Regulation (EU) 2021/2117 states that all wines and flavored wines produced or sold in the EU must display full ingredient and nutritional information on the product. Pre-printed QR codes are a practical solution to bundle all this information. But due to possible changes in product composition, there is a risk that QR codes printed on labels before bottling may not comply with the new regulation. For example, these codes may no longer direct customers to brands' marketing and sales-oriented websites. 

Unique or batch-specific QR codes printed at the production line

As a result of the new regulations, each QR code must be unique to each individual product (such as a serial number), or to each batch with the same composition of ingredients. While unique QR codes with product information can still be provided by label suppliers, it is easier to print these codes at the production line. This means that one unique label can be used for the entire production batch and a specific QR code can be added at the very last second. This way, as a manufacturer, you can avoid the hassle of smaller label batches for the same specific production run. Meet a fully compliant one-stop-shop solution: a laser or thermal transfer overprinting (TTO) technology, combined with software that generates dynamic QR codes and cameras to control their readability. 

Linking data to serial QR codes

Printing the QR code on the label is only part of the solution. Wine brands will also need to link QR codes to the content of their corporate data systems to provide accurate ingredient and production information on a batch-by-batch basis and to ensure regulatory compliance and product transparency with consumers. Wine brands can also link a series- or batch-level QR code to other, non-ingredient product data to enable both traceability and supply chain visibility and increased consumer engagement. The right software solutions to both design the digital consumer experience for ingredient labels, but also to connect enterprise data systems to the packaging line and QR codes will be critical for regulatory compliance and creating the best consumer experience.

Combined print and software solution 

Markem-Imaje integrates both laser and TTO printers on production lines to print very high-quality labels and QR codes for various brands and products. The Packaging Intelligence suite with CoLOS® software is ideal for use in conjunction with the printing technology to generate unique or batch-specific QR codes, while the Blue Bite SaaS solution helps users create digital experiences on mobile devices. CoLOS® software links the production line to a brand's ERP and automatically retrieves information, from serialization data to the all-important final ingredient composition, and makes it available through a unique and dynamic QR code. When printing, CoLOS® software ensures the quality and readability of the QR code by using very powerful cameras for verification. 

A dynamic coding future 

This new EU regulation also helps transition to the recently launched GS1 Digital Link, which will eventually become the new standard for global product coding and eventually replace the traditional 1D barcode. QR codes printed on the production line can be very useful to consumers, producers and distributors alike, providing info on ingredients and marketing information, billing and authentication data and information on traceability, anti-counterfeiting and recalls, respectively.