Stock Stand Up Pouches for Pet Food Packaging-5 Things You Must Do

One of the fastest growing segments of the packaging industry is the use of stand up pouches for pet food packaging. Whether a client is looking to package a series of dog treats, moist cat food, or an all natural mix of oats and grains, stand up pouches can be counted on to protect these items from moisture, vapor, and odor damage. Further, the wide face on the front and the back allow for easy application of a printed label and also provide a large area for custom printed artwork. Below are 5 things you’ll need to know if you are planning to use a stock stand up pouch for your retail packaging.

1. Discuss your ingredients with your stand up pouch supplier. Every product is different. Some contain essential oils, but only a little. Some are saturated with oil; some are dry and have microscopic dust that can cause havoc with certain ziplock closures. Your supplier will be able to provide you with the particular barrier film combinations they use for their stock stand up pouches and should know for certain if your ingredients will react negatively with these materials. More often than not, there isn’t a problem, but better to be safe than sorry.

2. Determine the weight you want to package in a stock stand up pouch and again discuss this with your stand up pouch supplier. One of the biggest problems customers will encounter is having a stand up pouch made from material that isn’t strong enough to support the weight directly or indirectly if product shifts during shipping.

3. Choose the right size. Just as having too much weight for a particular stock stand up pouch can create problems, so can packaging using the wrong size. Often a client will try to use one size stock stand up pouch to hold 8 ounces and 10 ounces and even 12 ounces of their product in order to save money. While the idea is noble, nothing is worse or ultimately costs more than having to replace damaged product.

4. Get samples of different sizes and try them with your product. Reputable stand up pouch suppliers will gladly send several samples and even work with you when testing your product. They’ll allow you to ship sample packs and inspect them for you to assure you have the right size and they are holding up properly.

5. Try different color combinations. Many stock stand up pouches are available in all clear, all gold, all black, and all silver while also being available with clear fronts so you can see your product with all gold, all black and all silver backs. While many suppliers have pictures of what gold foil looks like or how a clear front and black back stand up pouch stands on a shelf on their particular website, nothing beats having samples in your hands to see for yourself or test with the label you plan to use.

In closing, estimates for using stand up pouches for pet food continues to increase. They are convenient, durable, and will protect pet food and keep it fresher, longer. Knowing these 5 things should help customers avoid mistakes and ship with confidence.