Product labels show information for safety and certification purposes.
Many product labels are offered by manufacturers and include information for marketing purposes, help customers make decisions or help customers use the product correctly. Some labels, however, are required by the government in accordance with regulations that are designed to protect customers and authorize specific sanctions. These regulations are mandated by organizations like the United States government or the European Union.
Nutrition Facts
Food products are generally required to display two important pieces of information: nutritional facts and ingredients. Nutritional facts include proper serving size and how many nutrients, such as fats, protein and carbohydrates, are in those serving sizes. These labels are required so that customers can make healthy decisions and those who need to maintain a certain diet can avoid foods with nutrients that they should not consume. These labels also keep manufactures honest about how healthy their products are.
Ingredients
The other type of required food label is a list of ingredients. This list is also required to keep companies honest regarding the type of ingredients they use and where these ingredients come from, but there is also an important safety component. Many customers are allergic to certain ingredients or cannot combine some ingredients with medications they may be taking.
Product Safety
The vast majority of required labels on products other than foodstuffs are placed there for safety. Electrical hazard and toxic hazard labels are often required to encourage the safe use of the products. Cleaners, for instance, must have labels showing toxic compounds present and how deadly they are to humans. Manufacturers also put these labels on products to avoid lawsuits from consumers who may injure themselves using the product.
Product Interactions
Some products have certain qualities that can interact negatively with other products, and governments require that these products be labeled to let customers know about these reactions. Products that product magnetic fields, for instance, must be labeled as magnetic so that customers know they cannot place these products near computers where they could damage digital data.
Qualifications
Some organizations certify products as falling into a certain category. Some products might be energy efficient, free trade or all natural. In order to qualify for government certificates, rebates or tax credits, such objects must be labeled to show that they meet certain standards.
