In food and beverage the label rarely fails on the press — it fails in the cold room, on a condensing bottle, or in a compliance audit. This page sets out the face stock and adhesive choices we supply for chilled, frozen and ambient packs, plus how foil decoration fits without compromising migration limits.
Choose the adhesive by application temperature, not by product
| Application | Surface at labelling | Adhesive type | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambient dry goods | Room temperature, dry | General purpose permanent | Recycled board can absorb adhesive |
| Chilled / condensing | 2–8 °C, damp | Cold-apply / wet-stick | Label lift at the trailing edge |
| Frozen | −18 °C and below | Deep-freeze permanent | Apply before freezing where possible |
| Returnable glass | Ambient, washed | Washable / alkali removable | Caustic wash temperature |
| Hot fill | Up to 85 °C | High-temperature permanent | Face distortion, not adhesive failure |
Face stock: paper, wet-strength or synthetic
Ambient packs run happily on coated or uncoated paper faces. As soon as the pack sees condensation, a plain paper face turns to pulp at the edges — a wet-strength paper or a synthetic PP face is what keeps a chilled juice label legible to the end of shelf life.
Thermal direct stock is the workhorse for weigh-price labelling and short-life packs. Specify a top-coated grade for any pack that touches fat or is stored under bright light; uncoated thermal darkens and loses barcode contrast quickly, which scanners punish before customers notice.
Decoration and compliance
- Keep decoration on the outer surface and use low-migration inks and coatings for primary packaging; treat the whole chain — ink, varnish, foil, adhesive — as one system.
- Metallic effects on food cartons are usually foil rather than metallised board, because foil keeps the fibre stream recyclable where a full metallised laminate does not.
- Barcodes and best-before fields should stay off the foiled area: metallic reflectance defeats scanners and thermal transfer print does not key reliably to a foil surface.
- For sustainability claims, ask for the foil's PET carrier gauge — a 12 µm carrier moves less material through the process than the 19–23 µm carriers still common in the market.
MOQ and lead time by product
Minimum order quantity and production lead time for the products used in this industry. Each row links straight to the product page with full specifications.
| Product | MOQ | Lead time |
|---|---|---|
| AF-1350 Slitting Machine | 1 set | 30–45 days |
| MQ-1060 Die-Cutting Machine | 1 set | 40–55 days |
Frequently asked questions
Which label adhesive works on chilled, condensing bottles?
- Use a cold-apply (wet-stick) permanent adhesive rated for application at 2–8 °C onto damp surfaces. A standard general-purpose adhesive tacks initially and then lifts at the trailing edge as condensation migrates under the label, which is the most common chilled-pack complaint.
What temperature do freezer labels need to handle?
- Specify a deep-freeze permanent adhesive rated to at least −20 °C for service, and confirm the minimum application temperature separately — many adhesives will survive the freezer but will not form a bond if the container is already frozen when labelled.
Is hot stamping foil suitable for food packaging?
- Yes, on the outer surface of secondary packaging and on primary packs where the decorating chain is low migration. Foil is applied as a dry film with no solvent, and because it decorates only the printed area it keeps far more of the pack recyclable than a fully metallised laminate.
Why do my thermal labels fade before the best-before date?
- Uncoated direct thermal stock is sensitive to heat, light, plasticisers and fats. Move to a top-coated thermal grade, or to thermal transfer with a resin ribbon for packs that are handled, stored under display lighting, or in contact with oily products.
Can you slit label rolls to our applicator specification?
- Yes. We slit to your web width, core diameter, roll direction and outer diameter limits, which matters more than most buyers expect: wrong wind direction or an oversized roll will stop an automatic applicator regardless of how good the material is.