Now that I’m 45, I can hardly read the existing labels myself.
Add another paragraph or two and it will be unreadable even with reading glasses.
Yea, no kidding. The law requires so much labeling that it makes it difficult to read. The only other fix is to make the container larger!
Several years ago, a local syrup producer had all the ducks in row to export her *organic* maple syrup to Switzerland. She was at the point of designing the labeling on the bag in a box container, much like wine, when her Swiss partner told her all that design work had to be done in the EU. Besides the mandatory multiple languages, the labeling there appears to be a nightmare of mandatory fine print and only experienced European graphic designers have the experience to get it all on the packaging without totally obscuring the brand and weight/volume of the contents.
In case anyone is wondering what *organic* maple syrup might be, it includes being “kind to the trees” when tapping, no use of bleach on the taps and no plastic hoses/piping. I gathered that the syrup is considered a nutritional supplement over there and is marketed as a health food/tonic.
At one point, the only option for the American producer was to export in 55-gallon drums, but then some other obstruction was found and the entire plan went nowhere.
Just another way to control what is available as food in the now global market. IMO, the entire packaging design problem was also a way to make sure that only Europeans got the work.
Soon, all food for children, the ill and the elderly will have to pureed. After all, one could also choke on a single corn kernel or pea. But, even then, there will likely have to be a warning to “chew all food thoroughly before swallowing.” When I was a child, we were always being told to completely chew our food.
As for reading the label, you do already need a magnifier.