17 May, 2011: Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturers in South Africa run the risk of being heavily-fined for inconsistent and unreadable product packaging barcodes, warns industry-leading labelling solutions provider, Labelpak.

Labelpak director Mark Sherriff points out that in-house barcode verification is vitally-important in today’s consumer-focused economy, and that companies that are not in compliance with these stringent rules can face a fine of up to R100 per product that contains an unreadable barcode.

November 2, 2010: A major overhaul of South Africa’s labelling legislation could see non-compliant manufacturers having their products removed from supermarket shelves, warns industry-leading labelling solutions provider, Labelpak.

Stricter controls relating to product information on all labels are being introduced by the Department of Health as part of Regulation R146, in an attempt to bring more transparency to the consumer market, and to crack-down on manufacturers breaching the regulations.

28 September 2010 - Industry-leading labeling solutions provider, Labelpak, is ensuring that it stays one step ahead of its competitors after purchasing a state-of-the-art printing press that is capable of increasing productivity by more than 25%.

Due to a spike in demand for its products and services, Labelpak made the decision to purchase the revolutionary MPS Printing Press - a 9-colour, 16 inch UV flexographic press that is capable of producing labels in record time by making use of innovative servo drive technology.

29 June 2010 - Labelpak, an industry-leader in labeling and packaging solutions, can transform a simple concept into a marketable final product through a straightforward five-step process offered by a team of dedicated experts.

Potential clients can approach Labelpak with nothing more than an idea – which can be turned into a reality in a matter of weeks, thanks to the team of in-house professionals operating from the state-of-the-art facility in Randburg.

Now a 23-year old architectural student specialising in environment-friendly design and inexpensive housing, Claire Reid was just 16 when she came up with an idea that has won local and international awards, and looks set to change the way that people nourish their families.

"It began with my father asking me to plant a vegetable garden during my school holidays," she says. "I think he was trying to teach me about business by suggesting that I grow the veggies and he would buy my crops from me."

Carpet, upholstery and floor cleaning hire company Cleaning Clinic is taking branded soap products head on with a range of professional cleaning products labelled to sparkle on retail store shelving.

According to Cleaning Clinic Managing Member Simon Thorpe, the launch on Wednesday 17 November of a single disc floor scrubber for cleaning tiles, hard floors and laminated wood products also brings a unique service to South African shores and broadens consumer choices.

"This machinery is imported from Europe, where the service has taken off dramatically," he says. "It's another exciting offering in a range that allows the consumer to clean everything from carpets and upholstery to laminate flooring and material car seats."

What started as a taste temptation turned out to be a market sensation: When businessman and entrepreneur Marcel van der Merwe opened the country's first ever frozen yoghurt store in Stellenbosch in June 1989, few could imagine that some 20 years later, the product would be gaining ground in South Africa and abroad.

Marcel's Product Development & Factory Manager Deon Brand says, “We now have 12 Marcel's outlets and our products are also stocked by some of the major retailers countrywide. There are plans afoot to introduce branded Marcel's freezers to various stores around South Africa, where consumers can buy the smaller 'impulse-purchase' size or a litre to take home and share with the family."

Label printing is an industry that few pay enough attention to - until print quality affects brand image. It is the care taken to maintain every brand's quality that has seen Gauteng-based label print specialist Labelpak post 22% growth in the last year. Labelpak directors Mark Sherriff and Barry Skjoldhammer have almost 80 years of experience in the industry between them, and have seen the quality of printed labels go through massive changes since the 1970s.