Bernadette Sheppard, Client Service Director at Equator Design, a division of Marks, part of Propelis, identifies three pieces of regulation that demand immediate attention.
With the new year underway, businesses are turning their attention to priorities for the months ahead. For many, those plans must account for looming regulatory change. Compliance may not be the most inspiring goal, but it is among the most critical. In packaging, several significant regulations are set to reshape the landscape.
To identify the most pressing changes, we reflected on recent conversations with our clients. Three consistently emerged as priorities. Each will impact product packaging in different ways – some regionally, others globally – and all present both technical and creative challenges.
FDA Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling
Options include reformulating products to reduce flagged nutrients; repositioning the brand story or target audience; redesigning packaging layouts; or counter-communicating by emphasising positive attributes, such as sugars derived from natural sources.
The FDA’s proposed regulations introduce a mandatory Nutrition Info Box (NIB) on the principal display panel of food packages – the same prime real estate where brand identity typically lives. This quick-glance label will highlight saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars, affecting nearly all packaged foods manufactured, sold, or imported into the US.
The implications for pack design and brand positioning are significant. Brands must navigate strict requirements around sizing, format, and placement while preserving visual impact and brand equity. Canada’s recent implementation of a similar system through Health Canada offers a useful precedent, reinforcing the importance of early planning. With an estimated compliance date of 2029, brands have time to act strategically rather than reactively.
GS1 Sunrise 2027
Like the FDA initiative, GS1 Sunrise 2027 centres on transparency, giving consumers access to richer product information to support informed decision-making.
This global transition moves brands from traditional one-dimensional (1D) barcodes to two-dimensional (2D) barcodes, which can store significantly more data, including product origin, manufacturing details, and sustainability credentials. By 2027, global retailers and healthcare providers have committed to accepting 2D barcodes at point-of-sale and point-of-care.
Progressive brands are already leveraging 2D barcodes as storytelling tools, integrating them into packaging design to deepen engagement and unlock digital brand experiences.
Quebec’s Bill 96 Regulation
Quebec’s Bill 96 aims to strengthen French as the province’s official language. It requires consumer food packaging, displays, and e-commerce platforms to comply with new rules governing the prominence of French relative to English, alongside expanded translation requirements for trademarks.
While the main compliance deadline passed on 1 June 2025, trademark-related packaging updates benefit from a two-year transition period. Non-compliance carries significant risk, including fines, permit suspensions, and reputational damage in a key Canadian market.
Taking a Strategic Approach
As these regulations often require packaging redesigns – and, in the case of Bill 96, updates to commercial display items – brands should assess upcoming changes holistically. Addressing multiple regulations simultaneously can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure design consistency.
The central challenge is balancing compliance with creativity while protecting brand equity. Partnering with a creative agency that combines regulatory, technical, and design expertise can help brands navigate this evolving landscape with confidence.
