Meat Packing and a Blast-Freezer Labeling Disaster

The Challenge: Labels All Over the Floor

A major Midwestern meat packer recently contacted Consolidated Printing Supplies after a messy (and costly) experience inside their blast freezer.
During overnight production, the freezer’s high-velocity fans and sub-zero temperatures caused hundreds of product labels to blow off cartons and scatter across the floor.

The culprit?
A standard paper label with a general-purpose adhesive,  never meant to withstand the extreme, dry-cold environment of a blast freezer.

When temperatures plummet below –20°F and air circulates aggressively to pull down core product temperatures, conventional adhesives turn brittle and lose tack. The result: lost traceability, rework, wasted product time, and potential compliance issues with USDA labeling standards.

Why Regular Labels Fail in Blast Freezers

Blast freezers create the most punishing conditions for any packaging component:

• Instant cold shock: Adhesives can’t “wet out” or bond before freezing solid.

• High-speed airflow: Powerful fans create negative pressure zones that lift weakly bonded labels.

• Frost buildup: Moisture condenses on cartons, further reducing adhesion.

• Rough surfaces: Corrugated fiberboard or shrink film can be hard to stick to when chilled.

If your labels fail in this environment, it’s not just a cosmetic issue—it’s a production and food safety risk.

The CPS Solution: Engineered Freezer-Grade Label Systems

At Consolidated Printing Supplies, we don’t sell “one-size-fits-all” labels.
Our label engineers matched this customer with a custom freezer-grade adhesive and a synthetic face stock designed specifically for rapid-cool environments.

Key features of our freezer label construction:

• Permanent acrylic adhesive rated down to –65°F

• Immediate tack at application (no cure time needed before freezing)

• Polypropylene or BOPP film face stock that resists moisture and tearing

• Low-temperature release liner for smooth auto-application

• Optional overlaminates for condensation resistance and barcode readability

After switching to the CPS freezer-grade label, the meat packer reported zero label loss across multiple production runs, even under full blast freezer load.

Real-World Results

✅ 100% label retention at –25°F
✅ Perfect scan rates for inventory and USDA tracking
✅ No adhesive residue or curling during thaw cycles
✅ Reduced downtime and cleanup costs

With the right label adhesive and film combination, the meat packer restored order, efficiency, and compliance,  proof that small details make a big operational difference.

Partner With the Experts in Industrial Label Durability

If you’re labeling in extreme cold, wet, or variable temperature environments, Consolidated Printing Supplies can help you engineer the right label from the liner up.

We specialize in:

• Blast freezer labels

• Cold storage and protein packaging labels

• Moisture-resistant shipping and barcode labels

• Custom adhesive formulations for USDA and FDA environments

Don’t let your labels hit the floor.
Contact Consolidated Printing Supplies today to request a freezer-grade label sample or speak with our application engineer.