Why this matters
A label change is a product-legality and customer-commitment decision that crosses technical, commercial, purchasing, warehouse and production teams. A signed artwork proof is only one part of that control.
- Search intent
- Technical and commercial managers seeking a controlled way to approve food label and artwork changes before use.
- Read time
- 3 min read
- Hub
- BRCGS / BRC Support
Short answer
Control each change from authorised specification and artwork approval through stock transition, obsolete-version withdrawal, production instruction, line clearance and first-off verification. The record should show which version became valid, when and for which product or customer.
What this means in practice
A bakery updates an ingredient declaration after a recipe change while old printed film remains in stores. The launch date moves forward to meet a retailer promotion. Managers must decide whether old stock is blocked, relabelled or exhausted under an authorised transition, and production needs one unambiguous instruction at line start.
Version control fails at handovers. Technical teams may approve the content while purchasing orders material, warehouse staff manage remaining stock and production selects packaging under schedule pressure. The release record must translate approval into a practical stock and line decision.
Treat the effective date as a controlled event, not a diary note. Identify affected SKUs, customers, materials and work instructions; quarantine superseded stock where necessary; and state what evidence permits the first run. If a concession is used, make its scope and end condition visible.
Commercial value comes from avoiding waste without weakening control. Managers can compare the cost of scrapping packaging with the constraints of a managed transition, but that judgement needs accurate quantities, approval conditions and customer commitments rather than informal assurances.
WorkSafe can hold the change actions, owners, approvals and first-off evidence in one trail for WRMH customers. This supports a controlled decision and clearer retrieval; it does not replace competent legal review or guarantee BRCGS outcomes.
Key checks
- Is the approved artwork linked to the current product specification and customer requirement?
- Does the transition plan account for obsolete packaging at every storage and line location?
- Who verifies the first production item against the released version?
- Can exceptions or concessions be traced to an authorised decision and expiry point?
Common mistakes
- Assuming artwork approval automatically removes old versions from use.
- Changing the launch date without reassessing packaging stock and line instructions.
- Recording a concession without its scope, authoriser or expiry condition.
What good looks like
Every affected team sees the same released version and transition status. Obsolete stock is accounted for, first-off checks match the approved specification and a manager can explain any controlled exception without reconstructing the launch from emails.
When to use WorkSafe
Use WorkSafe when a label change creates dependencies across teams and sites. Shared action visibility helps prevent an approved design from becoming an uncontrolled production transition.
Map the next artwork change from approval to first production and make every stock, version and release decision explicit.