Tri-Star launches Gen-Label allergen labeling portal as food safety requirements intensify

15 Jun 2021 --- Tri-Star Packaging is rebranding its Tri-Label division as Gen-Label, which will provide a range of food packaging labeling services as more stringent legislation comes into force. 

Accessible via an online portal, the division is remodeling itself to meet rising food safety standards during the COVID-19 age.

“There has never been a more critical time for labeling in the foodservice industry,” says Alan Bryson, head of Gen-Label.

“Through the pandemic, as businesses swapped to takeaway and delivery models, we were able to help with advice based on over 30 years of foodservice labeling experience.”

Innova Market Insights pegged “Hygiene Heroics” as a top trend for 2021, noting 59 percent of global consumers believe packaging’s protective function is more important since the virus outbreak. 

Tri-Star’s announcement also comes ahead of a new UK-wide labeling law – Natasha’s Law – set for implementation in October. The policy will require all food pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS) to carry a full list of allergenic ingredients.

“While correct allergen identification and labeling is an important health issue, it is also one of corporate responsibility,” Bryson adds. 

“Lives are literally at stake, so why leave risks in place? As an industry, we can act right away and improve our reputation if we take action today rather than waiting until October.”The Gen-Label online software portal is designed to help producers adapt to changing regulations easily.

Gen-Label online
Gen-Label is touting itself as a “complete one-stop solution for all food labeling requirements,” supplying everything from eye-catching labels designed to comply with all the latest allergen legislation to food safety compliant labels for kitchens. 

A wide range of stock self-print or pre-print off-the-shelf options are available. The company can also produce bespoke labels, supported by a full in-house design service.

“Gen-Label makes food labeling simple, and our specialists have supplied innovative labeling solutions at every level – from large programmable logic controllers (PLC) to the smallest independent operators – all with the same successful result: an increase in sales and a rise in profit for our clients’ pre-packed food offer,” says Bryson. 

“Our Gen-Label Design service is available to all label customers, and we work with new and established brands to create label artwork that is both appealing and functional.”

Accessible via a secure web portal – Gen-Label Online – users can quickly manage all their labeling requirements, including product descriptions, ingredients, barcodes, allergen and nutritional information, and the UK government’s front of pack traffic light system. 

Instantly updateable, Gen-Label Online will also enable caterers to amend labels in line with changes in food labeling legislation with ease.The UK is set to enforce Natasha’s Law in October, a policy requiring all food pre-packed for direct sale to carry a full list of allergenic ingredients.

Natasha’s Law
Natasha’s Law will be introduced in October following campaigning by the family of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died after suffering a fatal allergic reaction from eating a baguette. Ednan-Laperouse had a sesame allergy and wasn’t aware that sesame seeds had been pre-baked into the product’s bread.

Her family passionately campaigned for increased transparency around UK food labeling requirements. The resulting law aims to ensure that essential information is always available to help people with a food allergy or intolerance make safe food choices. 

Gen-Label says it makes complying with Natasha’s Law simple and straightforward. The online software solution allows caterers to build and maintain lists of ingredients, including specific allergens and then print them off onto pre-formatted blank labels using a standard PC and laser-jet printer.

Tri-Star is also donating a percentage of its sales to a foundation in Natasha Ednan-Laperouse’s name, raising allergy awareness and conducting further investigations into labeling design and policies. 

By Louis Gore-Langton