DES PLAINES, IL - Schawk, a part of the SGK Brand Solutions group of Matthews International Corporation, announced today that its new online food label preparedness calculator is now available to help food and beverage companies gauge their state of readiness for the implementation of the proposed FDA nutrition label regulation.

The Schawk preparedness calculator allows users to rate their organization’s state of preparedness to activate the proposed regulation when it is enacted. Using a sliding scale, the online calculator prompts users to consider their organization’s readiness in seven key areas: awareness of proposed changes, planning for change, supply chain capacity, packaging change rate, artwork management process, artwork approval process and communications strategy. It is designed to provide a quick overview and high level insight to prompt food and beverage companies to accelerate the planning process. The calculator is accessible at http://www.schawk.com/label-central/fda-food-labeling-guide

Michael Leeds, senior vice president, client engagement, Americas, SGK said:“Schawk’s Label Central Hub has been designed to facilitate the planning and implementation process from the date the FDA enacts new nutritional label regulation to the date that compliance is mandated. Our goal in creating the hub was to make it an information destination for food and beverage companies as they tackle new label regulations.”

Bruce Levinson, vice president, client engagement, SGK noted: “Schawk's preparedness calculator is a great first step for companies to confidentially evaluate their own state of preparedness with the new regulation. Being prepared goes beyond an awareness of what needs to change to such critical factors as supply chain capacity and process excellence.

Companies that consider and plan for these dimensions will have a much better chance of navigating the regulation successfully and potentially gaining a leg up on the competition."

The calculator is the centerpiece of Schawk’s “Label Central” hub, which curates and features the latest news, articles and opinions from regulatory organizations and industry associations to business media, bloggers and SGK thought leaders and subject matter experts on issues, challenges and opportunities related to the FDA’s proposed nutrition label regulations.