Price labelling and promotional labels are more than just information carriers - they are brand ambassadors as well as positioning and recognition symbols at the point of sale, where every detail counts. A consistent appearance ensures that customers can immediately recognise a product as belonging to a brand. Design and layout influence how high-quality, trustworthy or likeable a product is perceived. Recyclable or biodegradable labelling materials can have a positive impact on brand perception and position the brand and product for a sustainability-oriented and environmentally conscious target group. Large fast food chains such as McDonalds are now also consistently focussing on environmentally friendly packaging solutions. By 2025, one hundred per cent of guest packaging worldwide is to be made from renewable, recycled or certified materials - including labels.
Water-based printing inks are a responsible and forward-looking solution in this context. They make possible what has long been considered a contradiction in label printing: brilliant print quality combined with maximum food safety - and all without any harmful solvents. The result: environmentally friendly, odourless and food-safe printing.
In water-based colour printing, dyes or pigments are used in a water-based solution. The colours contain neither volatile organic compounds (VOCs) nor harmful solvents. Price labelling and promotional labels based on water-based colour printing are therefore ideal for recyclable packaging and a visible sign of sustainability in practice. This also meets the expectations of today's customers, who not only expect good products but also demand a responsible approach to the environment and resources.
After use, hand labelling and promotional labels with water-based ink are also characterised by better recyclability, as no strongly adhesive chemical residues remain.
Labels with water-based ink printing are particularly popular in the food retail and catering sectors, from system catering to canteen kitchens in hospitals. Uncompromising quality and food safety are particularly important in these areas.
When labelling and marking products in the food sector, it is important to have labels that not only look appealing but also comply with current legal requirements. Meto's price labelling labels, printed with water-based inks, impress with various aspects:
Free of SVHC substances: So-called ‘Substances of Very High Concern’ are chemical substances of very high concern that are suspected of having negative and long-lasting effects on human health and/or the environment.
Compliant with the Good Manufacturing Practice guidelines (GMP). Good Manufacturing Practice" - as it is known in German - refers to guidelines for quality assurance of production processes and environments.
The use of promotional labels and price labelling labels with water-based inks therefore offers the following decisive advantages for food retailers:
Food safety through water-based inks
Labels often come into direct contact with food packaging in the retail trade. Water-based inks are particularly suitable for indirect food contact, as they do not contain any substances that migrate into surrounding materials (migration-critical substances).
Odourless thanks to the absence of solvents
Water-based inks are virtually odourless - a clear advantage compared to solvent-based printing processes. For example, the natural odour of fresh products such as bread, cheese or fruit is not masked by artificial printing inks. As a result, the shopping experience remains genuine and the brand credible.
Sustainability as a sales argument at the POS
More and more consumers are paying attention to sustainable packaging solutions. The use of water-based inks supports environmentally friendly communication at the point of sale (POS) through recyclable labels without chemical residues. However, the printing inks are not only safe and sustainable, but also offer a high level of quality and printability.
In canteen kitchens, hospitals and care facilities, strict hygiene requirements rightly apply. Water-based labels are also used here for labelling - for example, for the reliable and legally compliant labelling of food and allergens or for highlighting special promotions.
As a user, you benefit from the advantages of our water-based inks:
Free from health-critical solvents
Heat-resistant & smudge-proof - ideal for heated trolleys, cold rooms or washing-up areas
Clearly legible - even in damp or steamy conditions
Hygiene and safety thanks to water-based colours
The highest hygiene standards are mandatory. Labels based on water-based inks offer a safe solution, without any harmful vapours or residues on packaging and containers.
Water-based colour printing is suitable for high temperatures
Price labeller labels or promotional labels with water-based printing retain their legibility and colour fastness even when exposed to heat (e.g. in heating trolleys or during regeneration processes) - a must in hectic everyday kitchen life.
Flexible labelling with water-based colour printing
Allergen labelling, best-before dates, product names - water-based colour printing can be excellently combined with variable data and is therefore ideal for individually printed labels in the catering sector.
Water-based label printing defies steam and cold
Water-based colour printing impresses with its strong, clear colours - labels remain easy to read even when used in damp conditions such as in sculleries or cold rooms.
Whether on supermarket shelves or in commercial kitchens, Meto's watercolour-printed price marker labels and promotional labels set standards in terms of safety, sustainability and quality. Watercolour printing is much more than an ecological alternative - it is a clear step towards sustainable labelling. With its combination of environmental friendliness, food safety and high print quality, water colour printing offers convincing advantages for retail, food service and any industry where hygiene, sustainability and an attractive appearance count.
Would you also like your company to use labels with water-based printing inks to show responsibility and set a strong example of sustainability in practice? Then contact us now.