For some time now, there has been a trend in packaging, of moving from “traditional” style packaging to stand-up pouch (SUP) packaging. Traditional types of packaging, such as rigid plastic, rigid carton, folding paper and flexible film (roll stock), do have their place and provide different benefits. When dealing with different types of packaging, there are products that are best suited for traditional styles. For example, you could package bread or muffins in an SUP, but with a product that is prone to crumbling, the end user would have a difficult time getting the product out of the package.
However, there are some bakery products that are very much suited for using a SUP, such as cookies, crackers or pretzels. The nature of these products is such that they are less prone to crumbling when rubbing against each other. SUPs work well for these items because you can pack a lot of product in a smaller container, you can achieve great barrier properties, and the shelf presence of an SUP enables the product to become highly visible to the customer. The shelf presence that comes with SUP packaging is an improvement upon the traditional pillow pack because the package’s graphics are essentially staring a potential customer right in the face.
Another benefit of using a SUP is that when empty containers are shipped to a facility, the processor can either have a trailer full of rigid packaging come in or have the equivalent amount of packaging arrive in an SUP form that would lay flat in a case and fit upon one pallet. This in itself negates shipping a lot of dead space or “air” when shipping from the packaging manufacturer.
Receiving this material flat in a case offers great convenience in saving space while before use. There is also convenience in loading into the packaging machine because the operator only needs to grab a stack of flat pouches and put it in a hopper, as opposed to loading a roll onto the machine or placing the individual rigid containers.
The graphics that can be achieved on a SUP can be of a standard that might not be achieved with some other forms of packaging. In fact, there are processes that make the image on the package seem almost lifelike.
All these benefits come together to catch the eye of shoppers coming down the aisle. On top of the graphics that can be achieved by a SUP, processors are also able to provide almost any barrier level needed for a product without affecting the look of a package. These only scratch the surface on what can be achieved and become beneficial for making the switch to an SUP packaging medium for the right type of product.
For inquiries please contact Jake Lynch at jqlynch@dthos.com or (816)678-2748.