Pouch packaging is an excellent choice for many industries, from pet food companies to candy makers. Along with protecting your products, pouches look aesthetically pleasing and come with many customisation options. Pouch packages, sometimes called bags, come in two variants. One is called a stand-up pouch. It has a bottom gusset, allowing it to stand up independently. The other type is called a lay-flat pouch. These have no gusset and are just flat.
Pouch packaging is excellent for branding since you can print a custom-branded design. You can also print necessary information like bar codes and nutritional facts. Pouch packaging is a flexible packaging product made from barrier film, foil, and spout and cap fitments that supports flowable liquid products. Pouches are designed with the flexible needs of the consumer in mind, as there are flexible sizing options to fit any product.
IntegraMaterials
IntegraMaterials is the latest new brand to be launched under the E&B umbrella. Aimed at businesses who require packaging materials for their products we use our product and equipment knowledge to advise on the most appropriate materials for your business.
High-quality, traditional and ECO-packaging materials from a trusted and reliable source. Integra MATERIALS offer packaging from their manufacturers with unique coatings that ensure fully recyclable and compostable material options. Contents such as potato crisps, nuts, etc can now be enclosed in recyclable materials with similar barrier qualities as non-recyclables. There are also totally plastic-free options available.
IntegraMaterials displayed its new heat-sealable paper pouch Cycle Pack at Packaging Innovations in February. The Cycle Pack features a paper base, incorporating a surface treatment with protective barrier properties. IntegraMaterials said the resulting pouch has achieved significant milestones, offering a breakthrough in sustainable packaging technology.
The scientific challenge involved developing a material with film-forming and barrier properties through additive processes or surface treatments. The heat-sealable solution provides robust protection against humidity, light, and oxygen. As a monomaterial, it offers recyclability within existing collection collections, a 15% to 40% reduction in weight, the use of renewable resources, and a remarkable decrease in the carbon footprint by 15% to 60%.
Michael Lindsay, managing director, of IntegraMaterials, said: “The Cycle Pack aligns with the strict requirements of the food industry, ensuring safety and product protection, whilst also being environmentally friendly. This innovative packaging solution is a fantastic offering for our customers and a leading light in our suite of eco-packaging materials.”
SIG and DPA Brasil
Aseptic carton supplier SIG has entered into a strategic partnership with dairy company DPA Brasil to introduce spouted pouch packaging for its Chamyto brand of yoghurt. The premade spouted pouch features the SIG CloverCap 85RO closure and SIG Prime 120 filling equipment, offering a lightweight yet sturdy design that simplifies consumption, particularly for children.
The strawberry-flavoured Chamyto yoghurt is the first product from DPA Brasil to utilise this packaging format, with plans to extend it to other products such as Chamyto fruit vitamin yoghurts, Chambinho Recreio, and Ninho Lancheirinha.
SIG LATAM bag-in-box and spouted pouch sales head Thiago Franzin said: “Today, we stand out as the only company to offer aseptic carton, bag-in-box, and spouted pouch with filling and packaging solutions ranging from 50ml to 1,600 litres for industrial applications. With our high-performance technology as well as safe and flexible packaging systems, we are prepared to meet the diverse needs of the Brazilian consumer for all consumption occasions.” The launch of the Chamyto yoghurt product in SIG’s spouted pouches reinforces SIG’s position in Brazil as one of the leaders in the food and beverage packaging industry.
Lil’ Gourmets
From the beginning, Lil’ Gourmets has been focused on making it easier for parents to feed their kids more veggies and diverse flavours. Now, Lil’ Gourmets is offering their fresh & organic, veggie-first, chef-crafted meals in a convenient pouch.
On average children are consuming 0.5 servings of veggies per day with white potatoes accounting for nearly 80% of that, typically preferring foods that are high in sugar and salt. Lil’ Gourmets has been on a mission to change that by offering fresh & convenient veggie-rich meals that provide essential nutrients from their first bites, while inspiring a love of vegetables and adventurous eating for life.
“We are excited that our pouches are making it even simpler for on-the-go parents to feed kids their daily veggies. We consistently hear how great parents feel about feeding their kids Lil’ Gourmets, but that they’d love to see a pouch version. We took that to heart and now, no matter the occasion, we offer fresh and organic, delicious veggies at your fingertips,” shares Shibani Baluja, Founder & CEO of Lil’ Gourmets. “We are thrilled to partner with innovative retailers like Sprouts, Whole Foods Market, Meijer and more, to make a meaningful impact on children’s health while also providing a feel-great option for parents.”
Every Lil’ Gourmets meal delivers a complete serving of vegetables, meeting 100% of a baby’s daily vegetable needs and 50% of a toddler’s, without any added sugar. Freshly available in the fridge, Lil’ Gourmets meals offer complex flavours, including Pumpkin & Navy Bean Shawarma, Cinnamon Beets & Apples, Mexican Corn & Beans, Sweet Potato Curry, and more.
“Lil’ Gourmets pouches are a great way to serve vegetables to kids since it’s easy to eat and easy to clean up. Most toddlers love the independence of moving and eating at the same time, so Lil’ Gourmets fresh, veggie-first pouches are the perfect way to jam pack nutrients into your little one on the go,” states Rupa Mahadevan, Culinary Medicine Specialist and Paediatric Advisor to Lil’ Gourmets.
ePac Flexible Packaging Acquires Precision Pouches
ePac Flexible Packaging, a leader in fast time to market, short to medium run length flexible packaging, announced the acquisition of Precision Pouches, located in Schiller Park, Illinois. Precision Pouches, a premier toll converter in the flexible packaging industry, will become a part of ePac Chicago, and will continue providing pouching services to new and existing customers.
According to Alex Moroney, General Manager of ePac Chicago: “We’re excited to add Precision Pouches under the ePac umbrella. The acquisition provides skills and assets that will increase capacity, add to our capabilities, and enhance our ability to serve our customers.”
Established in 2016 with its first facility in Madison, WI, ePac recently opened its second plant in Boulder, Colo. In addition to Chicago, ePac will open plants this year in Miami, Houston, and Los Angeles. All locations are currently accepting orders, with fulfilment handled by Madison and Boulder until manufacturing operations commence in the other cities.
“Since we first opened in Madison less than two years ago”, said Jack Knott, ePac CEO, “our plants have experienced strong market demand and rapid growth. The addition of Precision Pouches to ePac Chicago will accelerate our growth in local and surrounding markets”, added Knott.
Le Sauce & Co.
Le Sauce & Co.’s Well-Portioned Sauces Help to Reduce Food & Packaging Waste. Le Sauce & Co. launched a new line of tomato sauces in pouches that are ready to pour and stir and cut down on waste in the kitchen. “When we set out to expand the Le Sauce line, we delved into consumer research and unearthed a staggering statistic: over 92% of consumers discard unused jarred pasta sauce,” said Le Sauce & Co. founder Kyle Kirl, “That’s when it hit us–we could tackle this wasteful issue (and reduce glass usage) by introducing a delicious range of tomato sauces in our innovative flex packaging.”
In all, there are five flavours in the expanded Le Sauce Collection: Classic Marinara, Savory Provencal, Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pesto, Spicy Pomodoro and Tomato Basil. Perfectly portioned for two, these premium sauces uphold the quality the brand is known for.
Trend Themes
- Reduced Food Waste Packaging – Innovative pouch packaging solutions help diminish food waste and reduce the need for traditional glass containers.
- Well-portioned Sauces – Conveniently portioned sauces cater to the needs of couples or small households, optimising usage and minimising waste.
- Flex Packaging Innovation – The introduction of flex packaging introduces a new level of sustainability and convenience to the sauce industry.
Industry Implications
- Food & Beverage – The food and beverage industry can leverage pouch packaging to enhance sustainability and address consumer demand for portion control.
- Packaging & Containers – The packaging and containers sector has an opportunity to innovate with flexible packaging solutions to reduce environmental impact and meet evolving consumer preferences.
- Consumer Goods – Consumer goods companies can explore the trend of well-portioned sauces to offer convenient and eco-friendly options that resonate with modern consumers.
Princes Partnership
With a global supply network and a portfolio of branded and customer own brand products, Princes is one of Europe’s largest food and drink groups. They specialise in sourcing and manufacturing quality products and, as a leading international grocery supplier, millions of consumers across Europe buy their brands and products every day.
International food and drink group, Princes, has agreed to a landmark partnership with Capri-Sun Group Holding AG, to produce over 250 million Capri-Sun juice pouches annually at the Group’s production facility in Bradford, UK.
This follows a recent move from Capri-Sun to bring sales and distribution in-house after a long-term relationship with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP). To meet increased demand, the Princes contract with Capri-Sun will involve a transfer of four production lines from CCEP to Princes Bradford, creating around 50-60 new jobs in the area. Production will begin in autumn 2024, with all lines set to be fully operational by spring 2025. To ensure a smooth transition from CCEP, Princes has already started supporting Capri-Sun with warehousing and logistics services.
“We’re incredibly excited to be bringing Capri-Sun pouches to Bradford – the new UK home of this iconic and much-loved brand,” said Andy Hargraves, Group Commercial Director for Drinks at Princes. “Establishing this partnership is a significant milestone in the continued growth of our drinks business, creating around 50-60 new job opportunities in the local area. Princes is looking forward to partnering with Capri-Sun to support their ambitions now and in the future.”
Princes will be co-packing two Capri-Sun formats: 200ml pouches with paper straws and 330ml pouches with a screw cap. As part of the transition, Capri-Sun is moving to recyclable pouches (curbside for 330ml and at large supermarkets for 200ml) and also introducing tethered caps on the 330ml pouches, reducing packaging waste by 14%, to support its ambition of becoming the UK’s most sustainable children’s soft drinks brand.
“We are very excited to go into this collaboration between Princes and Capri-Sun,” added Stefan Seiss at Capri-Sun Group Holding AG. “Over the last months, the supply chain and engineering departments were working very closely together to prepare the transition of the production lines into the Bradford site. It is great to see that the expertise and the positive attitude on both sides will deliver a new production setup to fulfil the demand and the quality to support the growth of Capri-Sun in Great Britain.”
Bradford is Princes Group’s largest soft drinks production site in the UK, with around 400 colleagues and 8 production lines for dilutes, carbonates and ready-to-drink products. It is a centre of excellence for dilute to taste squash and juice drinks for a host of retailers’ own labels, and the pioneer of innovations including double and quadruple strength squash. The site is also a leading producer of customer own brand carbonated soft drinks and ready-to-drink small bottles.
Capri-Sun Group Holding AG is a privately held company (owned by Hans-Peter Wild) that encompasses Capri-Sun, the top kids’ drink brand worldwide. Capri-Sun was launched in 1969 and now sells more than 6 billion pouches in over 100 countries every year.