Translation of packaging labels

It's important that consumers always get the right information when they buy food products.

Fasttranslator collaborates with competent translators in the food industry with in-depth knowledge of the industry's terminology.

Often, a small informational text is included that needs to sound both enticing and informative. This can often be difficult if you're not fluent in the language, which is where our translators come in handy.

Labeling and presentation of food products

Official regulations on the labelling and presentation of food products describe the requirements for how prescribed information should be indicated on the package.

The list of ingredients, net quantity and date stamp must always be indicated on the packaging. The regulations also describe the requirements for the information to be in another language.

Food marketing
There are some things you need to consider. In the UK, you cannot make any misleading claims about your product’s quantity or size, price, ingredients, endorsements or any other health claim. This is also reflected in EU law, along with rules for language that implies a heightened level of quality which bears no relationship to the actual production process. Using words like ‘natural,’ ‘traditional’, or ‘artisanal’ can get you in legal trouble if you can’t back them up, as can pictures of implied ingredients where there is little or no actual content in your product.	Marcel Vlietstra Co-founder ActiveReaction We regularly use Fasttranslator for the translation of our SAAS solutions in the field of medical information systems and clinical trial reporting. They are the only translation agency that offers different prices for different delivery times and quality levels. This gives us flexibility towards our clients.

Do you need help with label translation?

• Can I use machine translations for food labelling?

  History is littered with exporters who didn’t properly think their translations through. Machine translations like those from DeepL or Google Translate offer passable interpretations of language to aid understanding but should in no way be used for customer-facing products.

• I need someone from the country where the product will be used to warn me of cultural missteps.

  Red is lucky in China, and green has the same connotation in Ireland. Yellow is the royal colour in Thailand. In the Netherlands, orange and yellow are associated with cheap products, whereas green means environmentally friendly. Black is considered evil in some African countries, such as Nigeria.

  Every aspect of your packaging also needs to be checked and double-checked to ensure that you’re not insulting your customers in the chosen country. Our translators and in-country experts are happy to advise you on this.