As we become more and more educated on the types of food we’re consuming, you may have started paying closer attention to food labels and packaging. Though some elements of food packaging are fairly straightforward, there are definitely things that remain a mystery to me. One of those mysteries that I’d never even really noticed until recently are those colored circles that typically appear along the bottom of food packaging.
According to Taste of Home, those colored circles serve a purpose that actually has nothing to do with the food contained in the packaging. These colored circles (or sometimes squares) are referred to as “printer’s color blocks.” Their entire purpose is to help the printing teams who are responsible for printing the packaging.
Expert printing engineer Meg Schiraldi explains, “When the packaging is printed, technicians use the colored circles to check that the printing ink is the correct [color] and quality. They compare the color to boxes printed around the world to ensure consistent brand colors.” It’s as simple as that! Those circles help printers to color match food packaging and ultimately ensure brand consistency.
As we become more aware of what’s included on the labels and packaging of the food we’re buying and eating, I always find it helpful to know about these little pieces of information. The next time you scan the package of your favorite food, you’ll now know the purpose of those colorful little circles on the package.
While these colored circles are just a harmless printing detail, some packaging signs are a critical warning for your safety. For a food safety tip you absolutely shouldn’t ignore, it’s essential to know what bloated food packaging really means.
