Think inside the pouch: Why stand-up pouches are perfect for food-based products

When it comes to selling edible goods, getting your packaging right is essential. Firstly, it’s got to look good – that means your branding has to be on point and the container itself has to have withstood whatever travel it’s undergone (who wants to buy bashed up tins and cartons?) You need to consider how it looks when it’s filled with your goods and how the appearance changes as those goods are consumed (unless it’s a single portion). Will it look appealing standing on a supermarket shelf? Next, it’s got to signal to the consumer what’s inside. Hopefully it will say it literally on the front, but your packaging should also use closure mechanisms, windows and convention to provide additional cues. For example, you’re not going to sell milk in a tin. What would the serving size be? How would people close it up to save it for later? It’s just the wrong answer. This ties in pretty closely with the fact that your packaging needs to be functional. It absolutely must preserve the shape, taste and overall quality of the food inside. It must also be easy and intuitive for your customers to open, store and reseal (if necessary). Read more about packaging essentials here. Why are stand-up pouches the best solution? Stand-up pouches meet a number of demands from a range of foods. Made from high quality materials with excellent barrier properties (such as lined kraft paper, coloured foil or clear plastic), the smooth finish of pouches looks professional and provide a great backdrop for your branding. Transparent designs (or those with windows) go the extra mile to emphasise the appeal of your product, by showcasing the product itself from the outside. The construction of a stand-up pouch is incredible practical, from both a display point of view and a consumer perspective. The bottom gusset gives each pouch the strength to stand unaided on a shelf, while resealable closures allow larger portion sizes to be safely stored without risk of spillage or going stale. You can also obtain these bags with an integrated degassing valve to preserve the quality of goods like coffee beans and grounds. Image source: The Bag Broker Plus, stand-up pouches offer benefits when it comes to storage and transport. The lightweight material helps to bring your shipping costs down, while the fact that empty bags fold down flat reduces the amount of space they take up pre-fill. What products benefit the most from stand-up pouches? There is a huge variety of food and drink products that can be packaged in stand-up pouches. Talking to the packaging specialists at The Bag Broker, the team said that the majority of their clients choose to use these bags for loose leaf tea and coffee beans. However, they are increasingly getting orders for bags that are intended for more playful items, like gourmet popcorn and retro sweets. The clear packaging is particularly effective at tempting consumers with the delicious treats inside, and the stand-up design makes the bags look sophisticated both on retail shelves and in venues such as theatres and cinemas. Stand-up pouches are suitable for savoury snacks too, with the resealable opening being particularly effective when a small serving is needed – something like dried fruit, nuts, olives or jerky. The seal means that crumbs, juice or oil are kept contained and the freshness of the bag’s contents is preserved for longer. Image source: Eden Project Are there any drawbacks to stand-up pouches? Providing that you are using them for the right product, not really. Of course, light-sensitive products should not be sold in clear bags or bags with windows, but will be adequately protected by pouches in opaque materials. Likewise, these flexible pouches are not the best choice for fragile products. Soft biscuits, and delicate candies are at a risk of getting squashed and crushed in transit or storage. For many edible products, flexible stand-up pouches are a modern, cost-effective and professional packaging solution. Don’t waste time and money designing a bespoke, over-engineered container just to prove you’re thinking outside the box – simply think inside the pouch, instead. By Dakota Murphey