Printing Best Before & Use-By Dates

Date coding is the process of printing batch numbers, expiry dates, and other key information onto food packaging. This helps ensure quality control, freshness, and traceability.

At Magnavale, we have provided date coding solutions for some of the biggest food manufacturers in the UK. With automated date coding printers, we can provide a flexible, bespoke and consistent solution.

What is Date Code Printing?

Date code printing refers to printing batch numbers, ‘best before’ dates, ‘use by’ dates, and other important production information directly onto food packaging.  Date coding serves several purposes including Quality Control, Inventory Management, Traceability, Compliance and Consumer Information

What Date Code Printers are Used at Magnavale?

At Magnavale, we use the latest inkjet date printers to apply date codes directly onto a variety of food packaging, or labels that can then be applied to the product. Inkjet printing provides versatile, high-resolution date codes without contact with the packaging. This prevents spread of bacteria while accommodating fast production line speeds.

We can print onto almost any material, including:

• Glossy plastics
• Matte cartons
• Foils
• Aluminium trays
• Flexible films
• Cardboard sleeves

The versatility of our equipment allows date coding onto almost any package type or material.

Creating Flexibility with Date Coding

We can seamlessly integrate printers into other value-added services, for example up-tempering. Having multiple services combined in one facility helps streamline supply chains for food manufacturers by reducing handling and transportation between companies.

Our date coding technologies can enable more flexible production. For example, products can be manufactured and stored frozen in bulk. The date coding can then be completed “just-in-time” as products are picked and dispatched for delivery. This reduces waste by allowing date coding based on actual dispatch schedule rather than time of production, greatly improving your planning flexibility.

If you’re interested in our date coding solutions or any of our cold chain solutions, please enquire below.