etiquetatge

Etiquetatge, or labeling, is the process of attaching or displaying information on an object to identify it, classify it, or communicate attributes such as contents, origin, safety, or provenance. The term derives from the word etiqueta and is used in several languages, including Catalan. In practice, etiquetatge covers both physical labels applied to materials and digital or semantic markers used to tag data or entities.

Physical labeling encompasses product and packaging labels, label printing, barcodes, QR codes, and hazard symbols. It often requires compliance with regulatory requirements for ingredients, nutrition, allergen information, warnings, and origin. In supply chains, labeling enables traceability and sorting.

Data labeling, or data annotation, is a distinct use of etiquetatge in information technology and machine learning. Human annotators assign labels to data samples—such as categories, bounding boxes, or segmentations—to create training datasets and ground truth. This practice spans vision, audio, and text domains and raises concerns about consistency, bias, and privacy.

Standards and guidelines govern labeling practice. Examples include GS1 barcodes and shipping labels, ISO hazard symbols, and regulatory regimes for food, medicines, and cosmetics. Digital labeling relies on metadata schemas and controlled vocabularies to ensure interoperability and localization.

Challenges include ensuring accuracy, avoiding mislabeling, and managing multilingual or cultural differences. Balancing clarity with information density, minimizing waste, and protecting sensitive information are also considerations in modern etiquetatge.