Sports drinks have risen in popularity over the last decade thanks to their ability to replenish and refresh in short order. Unlike soda and plain water, the labels on sports drinks are a bit different. More and more companies are moving into the sports drink market as consumers cut back on sugary drinks and carbonated beverages. More companies looking to get involved in this lucrative market. It only makes sense to get educated on the sports drinks labeling and shipping process. Understanding how sports drinks are labeled and shipped is the first step towards getting your sports drink brand on the shelves, and we are here to tell you how.
Sports Drinks Labeling & Shipping Process
Accurate Sports Drink Labeling
There is a range of different varieties of sports drinks on the market. Some sports nutrition drinks are from big brands while others suggest consumers will obtain health benefits from their consumption. Non-carbonated sports drinks are intended to restore minerals and vitamins to the body while boosting energy at the same time. It is important to have accurate labeling to ensure consumers are aware of what’s in the sports drink. It is also essential, as it may affect their performance or have health effects. Using sports drink labeling is an easy way to present this information before your drinks ship out to retailers.
The Sports Drink Labeling Process
Labeling sports drinks is not all that difficult. Brands will print out a list of ingredients, warnings, calorie information, and other pertinent details directly onto paper or plastic labels. Some brands may print this directly onto the bottles. In most cases, the labels will be separately printed and then attached to each bottle later in the bottling process.
Most sports and energy drink bottles have an irregular shape. These shapes are intended to make it easy for athletes to grab, drink, and go. This can make it hard for labels to be applied or to be applied without dimpling. Automatic labeling machines make attaching slick synthetic labels to oddly shaped sports drinks bottles easy. Usually, bottles will be filled with their desired liquid, then the bottles will be passed through to the next step in the process which seals the bottles and decontaminates the surface.
Following the sealing step, the sports drinks will then be passed on to the next step in the process, labeling. The labeling machine usually uses a combination of pressure and a strong adhesive to attach a printed label to each bottle. Some packaging features labels directly printed onto the bottle or can itself. In these cases, the labels will be printed onto the outer packaging prior to the bottles being filled with liquid.
The Sports Drink Shipping Process
Shipping out sports drinks is much easier than labeling them. There is not much difference between shipping drinks or shipping any other consumer product. Once the bottles have all been labeled they will be sorted according to flavor and size. They will then be packed into cartons in sets of 6,12 or 24. These will be further packed onto pallets, wrapped again in stiff plastic, and labeled for distribution.
Some pallets will go to local suppliers while others will be sent to shipping centers and warehouses for further breakdown deliveries. Depending on the contents of the sports drink, some may require temperature control. Some of the others don’t need any special handling or temperatures. Every batch of drink will have a manufacture date and sell-by date to ensure they are fresh and viable once they reach the hands of consumers. Tracking allows manufacturers and vendors to keep an eye on when the last batch rolled out and when it is expected to be delivered to any specific location.
What can Fortress Nutrition LLC do for you?
Rest assured that you’re in good hands with Fortress Nutrition. To learn more about how we tailor our blending, ingredient sourcing, logistics, consumer packaging, and other services to meet customer needs, and to find out how we can partner with you to ensure compliance with new GMO laws, contact us today.