Packaging and labelling specifications

A packaging and labelling specification should identify what goes around each product, what appears on each label and how the finished goods are packed for delivery. Give the supplier one current set of files and packing instructions. Approve the printed and assembled pack separately from the product sample.

Specify each packing level

State whether the retail pack must arrive ready for display and whether it needs a protective outer carton. Describe any divider, cushioning or void fill. Assess a fully packed example against the intended handling route; an artwork mock-up cannot establish transport protection.

Replace phrases such as “standard carton” with the agreed construction, pack quantities and measurements. Ask the supplier to identify any proposed alternative and its effect on price, timing and pack data before approving it.

Key Elements to Record for Each Packing Level

Control artwork and label content

Give each artwork file a version. For every variant, record the exact wording, symbols, language, placement and print method, and who supplies and approves the file. Keep variable information, such as a batch identifier where used, separate from fixed artwork and identify who checks it during printing.

For consumer goods supplied in Australia, check whether a mandatory standard applies to the actual product. Some standards prescribe packaging or labelling. Covered cosmetics and covered clothing or textiles have different information requirements; neither example supplies a universal label template. The supplier of consumer goods remains responsible for product safety even where no mandatory safety standard applies.

Review voluntary claims against the finished product. The ACCC can require businesses to back up claims about their products; if a business misleads, it can investigate and may take compliance or enforcement action.

If a GS1 barcode is used, confirm that its number belongs to the correct trade item and packaging level. Check size, contrast, clear space, placement and final print quality. A screen proof cannot show how the code will print on the chosen material.

A mandatory information standard is distinct from a voluntary industry standard: information standards make specified consumer information compulsory, while industry standards are voluntary. Record which applicable requirement an artwork element addresses so that a later file change can be reviewed against the right approval basis.

Critical Compliance Requirements for Labelled Products in Australia

Distinguish mandatory requirements

Mandatory standards set compulsory safety or information features for certain products as a condition of legal supply in Australia. They can cover performance, composition, contents, manufacture, design, construction, finish, packaging or labelling, so a packaging specification may need to account for requirements beyond the wording printed on a label.

Safety standards set minimum requirements intended to prevent or reduce injury risks. Information standards provide consumers with information to help them decide whether to buy a product; they are not necessarily about safety. Mandatory standards and bans are not universal: they are introduced when evidence indicates a high risk of serious injury, serious illness or death related to a product.

Mandatory vs Voluntary Standards in Australian Packaging and Labelling

Approve the assembled pack

Use a printed proof to review wording and layout, then a filled retail pack and shipping carton to review fit, contents, print position and packing method. Record the product and artwork versions represented by each sample, the observed result, any change needed, the decision owner and the date. Keep protection, barcode and product-specific compliance questions open until checked.

Before dispatch, compare production packs with the approved versions and reconcile carton counts, markings and gross weights with the packing record. Confirm the chosen freight provider’s separate booking fields and service limits.

Keep the approved files, pack description, reference sample or photographs, packing instructions and change history together. Name that baseline on repeat orders and assess proposed changes before using a different pack.

Approving the Assembled Pack: Key Review Steps

Retain evidence for approval

Where product safety testing or other compliance evidence is relevant to the pack approval, keep it with the specification rather than relying only on a sample. The ACCC says a pre-production sample tested for safety is generally not enough without further quality assurance; a mandatory standard may require testing before supply.

Evidence can include written supplier documentation, third-party product certification or test reports. The ACCC recommends reliable, independent and preferably accredited laboratories for testing, and says suppliers can provide copies of test reports, preferably from accredited test bodies or laboratories.

Keep the basis for any product claim that appears on packaging with the approved artwork record. The ACCC can require businesses to back up claims about their products, and may investigate or take compliance or enforcement action if a business misleads.

Pros and Cons of Using Pre-Production Samples for Compliance