letiquetatge

Letiquetatge, often written etiquetatge in Catalan, refers to the act and practice of attaching labels to products, packaging, and related materials to convey information to consumers, traders, and regulators. It encompasses both the design and content of labels and the processes used to generate, print, update, and verify the information.

Labels typically include product name, net weight or volume, ingredients or materials, allergen information, nutritional information for foods, storage and handling instructions, and date marks such as best before or use-by. They may also carry origin or manufacturer data, batch or lot numbers, barcodes or QR codes for traceability, dosage or application instructions for medicines or chemicals, and regulatory marks or safety warnings.

Labeling is governed by national and international rules. In the European Union, food labeling follows Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011; cosmetics labeling follows Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009; chemicals follow the CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008. Label formats often rely on standardized barcodes (GS1 systems) and standardized pictograms and language requirements. Standards bodies such as ISO and GS1 provide guidelines for data structure, symbology, and product identification.

Beyond compliance, letiquetatge supports transparency and sustainability, with eco-labels, energy performance marks, and recycling icons. Digital labeling practices, including tamper-evident features and QR-based information, complement physical labels. Challenges include multilingual requirements, accessibility, supply-chain complexity, and maintaining current information on packaging.