GB 7718-2025, the national food-safety standard on prepackaged food labels, is published and takes effect on 16 March 2027. During the transition, new artwork should follow the new rules so you are not forced into a mass reprint at the deadline. Below are the items that show up most often on fresh-food and beverage self-adhesive labels.
Dual date marking: manufacture date + use-by date
The new standard requires both the manufacture date and the use-by date. “Best before X days/months” alone is not enough. Leave a dedicated, readable panel for dates so a price label, weigh-scale label or promotion sticker cannot cover them. Type height and contrast must remain readable under cabinet lighting and wet film.
- Place manufacture and use-by dates in separate zones, not jammed at the end of a line
- Keep-out zones so a later marketplace label does not cover the date
- Prepress date-format checks to reduce handwriting or secondary-print mis-register
Eight priority allergens
Ingredients that contain allergens must be declared. Bakery, marinated meat and dairy drinks are the SKUs that miss items most often. Bold the allergen in the ingredient list or add a dedicated allergen line, and make sure formula changes flow into artwork at prepress.
Misleading claims
Claims such as “zero additive” will be restricted more tightly. Keep legal copy and marketing copy in different zones: the legal zone only carries required elements; selling points stay in the claim zone so they are not read as part of the ingredient or nutrition panel.
How to plan the transition
| Stage | Recommended action |
|---|---|
| Now through trial converting | New artwork uses dual dates and allergens; audit live SKUs |
| Proof sign-off | Digital proofs of the date panel, allergens and stacked-label keep-out |
| Before 16 March 2027 | Switch live versions; keep lot records of the sign-off |
LabelStar® checks required elements and date format at prepress, then digital-proofs. Fresh multi-SKU programs can prove layout digitally, then scale on flexo.
