While a baked dog food formula may pass a tasting test and therefore become a retail product, the packaging must protect the food and enable identification of the production lot. As a private-label buyer you need to test the final filled pack, to define readable traceability fields and to ensure that the corresponding shelf-life claim is backed up by the corresponding storage evidence for that exact product.
Key Takeaways
- Approval of finished food as well as retail packaging.
- Make the lot code readable, durable and traceable on every sales unit.
- Match your shelf life data to the final formula, packaging, closing and storage conditions.
- Accelerated studies should be treated as supporting evidence rather than being used as a replacement for current data.
Build Traceability Into the Retail Pack
The lot code has little value in the warehouse if it cannot be found or read. Where on the package does it go? What fields will it contain? How do these connect with the production record and the records of the ingredients used? Include these decisions in the approval of the artwork. A designer may place the code area across a fold, in a sealed section, on a dark image or on a textured surface and this may be disastrous on the production line.
Define the Code Before Printing Artwork
The production or lot number, and the relevant dates such as start, finish and any other required dates, plus any line/shift code used by the manufacturer should all be specified. Additionally the code format and location should be specified. Verification of the wording used for date reference in the target market should also be carried out, as “Production date”, “best before” and “expiry” are not interchangeable terms and local legislation may specify wording and display.
Test Readability Through Handling
Print the code to your packaging material using your normal production equipment. Subject test samples to your normal case packing, abrasion and storage conditions. Check for suitable contrast, complete characters, no smearing and whether a seal crease will obscure any of the printed information. Also scan any 2D machine-readable symbols at the reasonable distance that they will be read. A sharp code looks on a piece of empty film but may look quite different on a filled bag that is being handled.
Approve the Food and Package as One System
The Baked Food range provides a concrete base for a private-label project, but the selected formula and package still need project-specific approval. Food can exchange moisture and oxygen with the environment after packing. Seal quality, film structure, headspace, closure design, pack size, and opening frequency may all affect condition during sale and use. Request the proposed pack specification alongside the product sample.
Define What the Package Must Protect
List the product attributes that need monitoring, such as moisture condition, aroma, oxidation indicators, texture, microbiological status, and package integrity where relevant. The required tests and limits must come from the manufacturer, laboratory, applicable rules, and agreed product specification. Avoid translating “baked” into an unsupported promise of longer freshness or better stability.
Review Opening and Reclosure
For packs intended to be re-closed test this feature with actual fill weight and kibble type. Check for the entry of food particles into the closure, for adequate alignment of the feature and for pack stability after closure. Reclosure convenience does not recreate original factory seal. Such feature must be described in consumer directions for storage after opening up of pack without giving misleading impression of seal protection.
Ask for Shelf-Life Evidence That Matches the SKU
Shelf-life statement is product configuration specific. This means that changes to the formulation, to the antioxidant, to the packaging material, to the fill weight, to the gas treatment, or to the seal all necessitate new evidence. These items must be clearly listed in the study protocol and in the final specification. When suppliers refer to evidence generated with “similar” products, ask them to outline the specific differences which they investigated and for what reasons the comparison to your specific product is valid.
Separate Real-Time and Accelerated Work
For real-time studies, samples are observed under the stated storage conditions over the proposed time period. Accelerated studies may be useful to support product development or to provide an early warning. However, the results must be interpreted in the light of the specific product and model used. It is essential to know who set up the study, which parameters were measured and how the results were derived. Accelerated time periods must not be converted into shelf life by means of a simple multiplier. This must be done by a qualified and experienced technical person or team.
Include Distribution Conditions
When designing a study to test packaging in different environments, remember that a study conducted in a controlled room does not have to replicate every possible sales route. For example, study packaging in high heat, high humidity, subject to light, stacked cartons and in transit where relevant. However, one trial will not replicate every market. Identify all foreseeable test conditions, include storage wording and limitations in the buyer/supplier agreement and allow the distributor to understand whether local validation or additional protective packaging is required.
Link Coding to Recall Readiness
Traceability should be a two-way street. The code on a returned pack should allow you to find the corresponding production records, and conversely, the production lot number should allow you to find the corresponding shipment and customer files. Useful background reading on the Tailglee discussion of pet food traceability can be found on the Tailglee web site, but this does not tell you a practical method to implement traceability for your own labels, for your import records, and for your distribution chain.
| Control Point | Approval Evidence | Common Gap |
| Code format | Filled-pack print sample and field definition | Code exists but has no clear record link |
| Code durability | Handling and storage check | Ink rubs or seal hides characters |
| Shelf-life basis | Protocol, conditions, results, and responsible reviewer | Date copied from a different SKU |
| Packaging identity | Material and construction specification | Artwork approved without technical pack data |
| Distribution link | Lot-to-shipment retrieval exercise | Cases tracked but retail units cannot be identified |
Run a Paper Recall Exercise
Choose a test code. Ask the relevant teams for production records, quantity produced, current stock and all shipments. Work from a customer record and track back to the lot. Record any missing fields and the time it takes to respond. It’s not a substitute for a proper food-safety program but will give you a good indication of whether your printed code and business records can support it.
Put the Evidence Into the Purchase Specification
Tailglee provides OEM and ODM support that can connect formula and packaging decisions. Buyers should use sample approval to freeze the food identity, pack specification, artwork version, code location, date basis, storage wording, inspection method, and change-control route. A verbal agreement on “standard packaging” leaves too much open when a film or printer changes.
Provide Tailglee with information to approve production for retail such as target market, sales unit, distribution channels, distribution conditions, artwork approval, legal label approval and fields for traceability. Also require proof of proposed date and packaging. The end result should be a retail SKU that can be clearly identified, traced and legally defended whereas the packaging alone is not enough and it must house an approved formula.
FAQ
Q1: Can one shelf-life report cover several baked dog food SKUs?
A qualified review explaining why differences in formula, packaging, fill and processing do not affect the evidence for a test should be recorded.
Q2: Is a best-before date the same as a production date?
Date terms have different purposes. Express them in the required wording and format and state how each date was calculated.
Q3: Should lot codes appear on individual packs or only cartons?
A: The traceability should cover the commercial units that reach the end customers. Check if legal requirements are fulfilled and if the retail packs are still traceable after deconsing of cartons.
