What Do The Dots Mean On Food Packages Sold In Mass.?

I popped over to the convenience store today to pick up some cashews when I saw those colored dots near the seals of the package. It's certainly not the first time I noticed them, but I was confused on their purpose.

I had heard a few different explanations for them. Quality control, food ingredients, color printer settings, where the actual food was made or processed, expiration dates, certain allergy indicators are just a few reasons I've come come across over the years.

So, what do those dots actually mean on food sold in Massachusetts?

The CMYK color model

• cyan
• magenta
• yellow
• key (black) -jukeboxprint.com

These subtle dots on food packaging sold all over Massachusetts are known as printer's color blocks, registration marks, or process control patches. Most food packaging is printed using the CMYK color model, which stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. These four ink colors are layered to create the vivid designs, logos, and nutritional information that catch our eye.

Food packaging is printed in massive quantities and this is really just verification that the printers are working correctly, an example of quality control, really. Each dot represents one of the inks being used on the package. The dots are really just a byproduct of the printer ensuring that it's working correctly.

You'll usually find the dots near the seams of packaging or not at all if it's trimmed off by the machines. There is no hidden message to these colored dots like I had heard, but just a function of the printer that makes the packaging look so yummy!