How To Prevent Labels from Peeling in the Refrigerator
- label failure
- Packaging
No brand wants a great looking product only for the label to peel off in the customers’ fridge. Fortunately, with the right materials, adhesives, and preparation, you can keep your product’s labels firmly in place even in chilled environments.
Why Labels Peel in Refrigerated Conditions
Let’s start with the usual suspects behind label peeling in the cold. The culprits usually include:
- Moisture and condensation
- Improper adhesive or material selection
- Poor surface preparation
- Temperature fluctuations
Below we take a closer look at how each of these factors can cause problems, and how to make the right decisions to avoid issues down the line.
Choose the Right Label Material
Your label material makes a huge difference in refrigeration performance. Consider these materials:
- Welded Paper Stock: Combines the tactile appeal of paper with a BOPP film core for moisture protection and excellent opacity. These labels resist degrading in ice bucket immersion and condensation while still allowing for embellishments like embossing, foil, or die cuts. Welded paper stock is ideal when you want a premium look that also performs under chilled conditions.
- BOPP (Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene) and MDO (Polypropylene): Durable, moisture-resistant, and ideal for beverages, dairy, sauces and more.
- Polyester (PET): Strong and moisture-resistant, commonly used for refrigerated medicines and supplements, specialty foods, and more.
- Vinyl (PVC): Flexible and sticks better to curved surfaces like squeeze bottles (MDO works great for curved surfaces and squeeze bottles as well).
For most plastic or glass containers, we recommend using water-resistant films or welded paper stocks, which give you the durability to withstand chilled environments and moisture.
Select Adhesives That Stick
Most standard adhesives struggle in cold, damp environments where moisture and condensation interfere with adhesion. Instead, consider freezer-grade options:
- Acrylic Adhesives: Excellent moisture resistance and long-term adhesion.
- Freezer-Grade: Immediate strong adhesion at lower temperatures.
Prep Your Surfaces Properly
We’ve seen it plenty of times: labels that just won’t stick because the container wasn’t clean or dry. Here’s how to avoid that:
- Always clean and dry your containers before applying labels.
- Apply labels at room temperature whenever possible. Cold surfaces mean weaker initial bonds.
- Allow enough dwell time (ideally 24 hours) before refrigerating to make sure your adhesive fully sets.
Add Extra Protection with Finishing
A protective layer goes a long way toward preventing peeling, smudging, or abrasion:
- Lamination: Adds a water-resistant barrier and increases durability.
- UV Coating: Protects against moisture and keeps labels looking vibrant.
While finishes like lamination and UV coating can add a small cost, they often prevent smudging or damage that could otherwise make your product look worn before it even reaches the shelf.
Test Before You Scale
It can be important to test your labels in real-world refrigerated conditions, especially before committing to a large full run. This helps you feel confident that they’ll perform the way you need them to. Here’s how (don’t worry, we can help with this):
- Conduct freeze-thaw cycles and check for peeling.
- Simulate actual handling and transport conditions.
- Evaluate adhesion after at least 24 hours in your target refrigerated environment.
Quick Checklist to Avoid Label Peeling
- Choose the right material. We recommend EverOpaque, BOPP, PET, vinyl, or wet-strength paper.
- Select acrylic or freezer grade adhesives that will perform at the correct temperature.
- Clean and dry all containers before application.
- Apply labels at room temperature.
- Allow 24-hour dwell time before refrigerating.
- Consider protective finishing like lamination or UV coating.
- Always test labels thoroughly in real conditions.
Prevent Your Label from Peeling in Refrigerated Environments
Label peeling in cold storage doesn’t have to be a problem. With the right materials, adhesives, preparation, and testing, your labels can withstand even the chilliest conditions. Not sure where to start? Contact us and we’ll help you select labels that stick, no matter the temperature.
