Quick answer: An expiry date or batch code is only useful if the receiving team can still find and read it after cold storage, pallet handling and delivery. For F&B secondary packaging, plan the code around the full handover route—not only the moment it leaves the packing line.

F&B manufacturers, cold-storage operators and FMCG distributors in Selangor, Johor Bahru, Penang, Woodlands and Jurong often work with the same practical challenge: a printed outer carton moves through more than one team, location and condition before it is picked, received or investigated. A batch or expiry code that looks clear at packing can become difficult to locate, smudged, hidden by wrap, or confused with another reference number later in the journey.

This is not a promise that one printer, ink or message will solve every cold-chain application. It is a workflow-control issue. The right approach is to define what must be printed, where it must appear, who checks it and what happens when the code does not pass the agreed check.

Why secondary-packaging coding needs its own plan

Secondary packaging is the outer carton, tray, shipper or case that groups product units for handling and distribution. It is where warehouse and transport teams may look for a product description, quantity, lot or batch reference, expiry information and handling instructions. The printed information on the individual retail pack may not be visible once cases are stacked, wrapped or stored.

Cold-chain movement adds extra handling points. Cartons may be transferred from a packing area to a chiller or freezer, staged in a loading bay, covered with stretch wrap, moved by pallet equipment and received by another warehouse. Condensation, abrasion, carton scuffing and an inconsistent print position can make a code harder to use. The objective is not merely to print a date; it is to make the approved information available to the people who need it at the point of handover.

The cold-chain handover checklist

Handover point	What to check	Useful evidence
After case packing	Is the batch or expiry message complete, readable and placed on the approved panel?	Approved sample and first-off check record
Before cold storage	Can the receiving team identify the code without opening or turning every case?	Warehouse walk-through using a real pallet
After wrapping or palletising	Does stretch wrap, a pallet label or carton orientation hide the printed area?	Photograph of the completed pallet
At dispatch	Does the dispatch check match the code to the delivery or stock record?	Dispatch verification step
At receiving	Can the destination team find and read the same information under normal working conditions?	Receiving feedback or trial record

A table like this gives quality, production and logistics teams a common reference. It also prevents the coding task from being treated as a final-minute label detail.

Five decisions to make before the first production run

1. Decide which information belongs on the outer case

Start with the actual business and customer requirement. A case may need a product identifier, batch or lot number, manufacturing date, expiry or best-before date, or a barcode/2D code. Do not copy every field from an inner label just because space is available. More information is not automatically better if it increases the chance of a wrong, inconsistent or difficult-to-read message.

Confirm the exact date format and batch format with the brand owner, customer and quality team. Where a regulation, retailer standard or export requirement applies, verify it against the current requirement for that product and market. A printing system supports a controlled process; it does not by itself prove legal or customer compliance.

2. Choose the carton panel before choosing the message layout

Check the actual outer case, not only a flat artwork drawing. Select a panel that remains accessible after stacking, wrapping and storage. Avoid areas likely to be taped, crushed by strapping, covered by a pallet label or placed against a wall on a rack. The approved panel should be stated in the work instruction, with a reference photo where possible.

3. Set a readable message size for real working distance

Warehouse personnel do not always inspect cartons at arm’s length. Consider where the code will be read: at a packing table, at a staging lane, from a pallet position or while receiving a delivery. Test the real message height, contrast and location with the people who will use it. For a broader method, see PTS’s viewing-distance guide for batch-code size.

4. Test the actual substrate and handling sequence

Use the same carton finish, tape, wrap and normal handling process planned for production. A clean carton sample on a bench is not the same as a finished case after handling. Print several samples, allow the normal process to occur, then inspect the code at the intended handover points. If the message changes between products, document the test for each material or coding condition that matters.

5. Make changeover approval visible

A strong check is simple: the person who loads the approved message confirms the product, date format and batch source before printing begins; a second person or defined verification step confirms the first finished case. Keep the approved sample available at the line. This reduces the risk that a correct-looking code contains the wrong product date, batch or format.

Where TIJ coding fits

Thermal inkjet (TIJ) coding can be used to apply variable text, dates, batch information, barcodes and 2D codes to suitable packaging materials. The equipment choice should follow the job: required print height, message content, carton surface, line condition and the way the case will be handled. For larger outer-carton messages, PTS’s BENTSAI B85 wide-format TIJ printer is one option to assess against the real application; it should be tested with the customer’s own carton and workflow.

Do not use a printer specification as a substitute for a production trial. A code can be technically printable yet still be poorly positioned for a cold-store receiver, obscured after wrapping or inconsistent after a changeover.

A practical 30-minute cold-chain trial

1. Prepare one finished case, the proposed variable message and the intended pallet label or stretch-wrap process.
2. Print the code in the planned location using the actual carton.
3. Stack and wrap the case as it would be handled in normal distribution.
4. Ask a production operator, warehouse receiver and dispatch team member to find and read the code without being told where it is.
5. Record any delay, confusion, hidden print area or unreadable character.
6. Update the work instruction and approved sample before moving to volume production.

Frequently asked questions

Does an expiry code on the retail pack remove the need to code the outer carton?

Not always. The outer carton may be the item handled by warehouse and distribution teams. Confirm what your customer, internal process and applicable market requirements need on the secondary pack.

Can one carton code be used for both warehouse and customer checks?

Possibly, but only if the content, format, placement and scan or reading process meet both uses. Define the users and test the full route before relying on one message.

What is the first cold-chain test to run?

Print on the real carton, complete the planned wrapping or palletising step, and ask the receiving team to find and read the code under normal working conditions.

Does a readable code prove compliance?

No. Readability is one process check. Confirm the exact label content and format required by the relevant product, customer, market and regulations.

Should the carton code be placed beside the pallet label?

Only if both remain visible and distinct after wrapping and handling. Test the finished pallet and avoid a placement that can be covered or confused with another label.

Need to assess a secondary-carton coding job? Contact PTS Technology with your carton sample, message content, palletisation method and the point where the code must be read. We can help review the printing side of the application before you commit it to a line.