Digital printing has been integral to a “breakthrough” by printing solutions provider Pyrotec PackMedia in addressing South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) labelling requirements, says GM Timothy Beattie.

South Africa’s health and wellness market mandates that packaging for vitamins, natural supplements or homeopathic remedies aligns with SAHPRA’s complementary medicines regulations and clearly communicates essential information.

Pyrotec’s SAHPRA-ready solution enables companies to be more compliant by adding more information on-pack without slowing production, while facilitating higher quality control over the various print runs.

“We offer space-creating label formats so that clients can fit in the SAHPRA-required information – in multiple languages – and any updates, without redesigning the whole pack.”

Beattie adds that Pyrotec’s booklet or leaflet label constructions and multipage label formats cater for ‘more space’ and regulatory compliance while staying within the ‘footprint’ of a conventional label.

Further, “Pyrotec PackMedia provides a manufacturing-friendly supply format which emphasises reel supply for standard label applicators to keep lines moving”.

The company’s digital and converting capability has been built to accommodate fast version changes to the print run.

“This capability is ideal when you have multiple stock-keeping units or versions and compliance- driven edits,” he adds.

Many nutraceutical labelling applications in South Africa require more content than a standard label can accommodate, especially on small-format packs such as sprays, droppers and baby products.

“That’s where PackMedia’s multipage labels offer a strategic advantage,” says Beattie, adding that its informational leaflet labels and butterfly labels offer between three and ten times the communication space of a conventional label.

This makes the company’s labels suited to pharmaceutical leaflet labels, with booklet labels for medicine and butterfly labels for medicine, and homoeopathic product.

Meanwhile, Pyrotec has recently added a RotoconChrome RSI 340 to its portfolio.

“The installation is a high- precision, vertical slitting, inspection and rewinder system for printed labels that offers a newer converting, inspection and rewind capability to boost throughput and quality control on reels,” he explains.

Another edition includes a Durst Tau 330 RSC

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The group has also acquired an ABG International Digicon Series 3.

“These all contribute to the effective printing of SAHPRA-style work,” he says, adding that the regulated labels are highly legible, can accommodate fine detailed printing and are subject to repeatable colour and print control.

Beattie adds that the group uses proofreading technology GlobalVision software for 100% artwork verification prior to going to print, while ABG’s Fleye vision software ensures 100% compliance during inspection of pharmaceutical leaflet labels.

Pyrotec PackMedia’s specialist labelling solutions not only help to improve compliance, shelf impact and consumer trust but its metallic label finishes and custom foil labels also “grab the attention of passing shoppers”, Beattie avers.