In the wake of the scandal that has surrounded horsemeat being found in beef products such as beef burgers and some lasagne and other items, it is worth emphasising the need for clear and concise information on food labels. We feel sure that retailers and manufacturers are fully aware that this is a must, but design teams can get wrapped up in the look of the label ensuring that it is eye catching and clearly directs the customer in the direction the producer wants them to go, it might be that clear information on the content of the product could be overlooked.
It is clear that the “horse burger” problems arose through mislabelling, possibly deliberate on the part of an unscrupulous supplier in the food chain, which of course is fraud and no doubt it is still being carefully investigated. It is pretty evident from reports that there is not a health problem with the products, but some religious groups cannot eat pork for example and some of the products claim to have had pork in them. For some people nuts can have serious health issues and not advising or mislabelling can have consequences which could be fatal.
If you are providing the artwork for the label it is worth spending some time ensuring that the content of the product is checked, particularly food items.