Your packaging must be durable and reliable if you want to be successful. When you’re shipping products and storing them, you’ll need the right boxes to ensure nothing gets broken or damaged – especially if you’re selling something like a bag of potato chips, and no one wants a broken bag of crumbs.
Say you’re the potato chip seller. You’ve got this rad sour cream and onion flavor that won’t quit. Your products are selling out, but something isn’t right – some of the bags of chips are stale when opened. For a young company, that’s a hard no-go. When sending the chips out onto the store shelves, you need a box that offers impact protection and limited atmospheric protection against moisture vapor, oxygen, and UV light.
And that’s just the box. What about the actual bag itself?
The average polyethylene packaging is, as The Mandalorian says, not the way, and it offers poor climatic protection. So, who knows what happens to those chips in the back of a hot truck?
Custom foil packaging does it better
That’s why we’re advocates for foil packaging bags. High barrier foil, which can be completely customizable (just ask, we can send samples), is a flexible packaging made up of 3-4 different layers, which offers additional layers of protection against things like:
- Odor
- Moisture
- Extreme temperatures
- Oxygen Ingress
- UV Light
Polymer manufacturers know moisture can get into their bags, and it’s not like it’s an industry secret. They’re hygroscopic, meaning they absorb ambient moisture – causing degradation. And if you’re the chip seller, this is why you’ve gotten the angry Tweets about freshness.
Custom foil packaging is composed of a multi-layered laminate, which includes aluminum. Aluminum is the game-changer because it gives any flexible material the lowest water vapor transmission rates. This barrier protects and prevents elements like water vapor from entering the package.
Oxygen Ingress
We need oxygen to breathe, but oxygen wreaks havoc when trying to keep foods fresh. If you’re selling nuts or something with high fatty acids, oxygen breaks down the fatty acids, altering smell and taste, thus causing your products to go bad.
High barrier foil packaging protects for both the short and the long term. Because they’re sealed off with something like a roll stock machine, it’s airtight once the package is sealed. And for freshness, this is a big plus.
UV Light
We wear UV protectant sunglasses, because those rays can do harm to both your skin and eyes, so why would we think food would be any different?
Photo-oxidative degradation can destroy certain nutrients, which causes chemical changes in materials like polymers and our food. UV light affects liquids, making whatever you’re drinking taste horrible. Because high barrier foils are opaque, they offer product protection from damaging UV light.
Odor
When something goes bad, we notice it immediately. No one wants to pay a few bucks for a candy bar that, upon opening, smells funky. High barrier foil keeps all smells locked inside the package, thanks to the aluminum. So, no making the “ew” face if your chocolate has gotten rancid.
Temperature
It’s hot out there, and not every delivery truck is cooled. Thanks to an aluminum core, high barrier foil packaging protects against radiant heat due to the low emissivity level. (Its shiny, smooth surface offers a low emissivity value, close to 0.) Because of this random science fact, many of the “hot bags” we see delivery drivers using on their DoorDash runs use radiant heat technology. So why wouldn’t you want the same for your gourmet cheese or cured meat business?
Let’s do better together with custom foil packaging that actually works
If you’re considering switching out your packaging and are interested in checking out high barrier foil, we can help. Our custom-printed foil bags are awesome. There, we said it.
Because ePac is dedicated to maintaining eco-friendly and sustainable packaging, we’ve worked with many companies trying to do more to see their products come alive, not only on the store shelves but also online.
And because we’re a digital company, there are no plate fees. Or minimum orders. We can do small runs if you’re looking to experiment or go big if you’re looking to stock the shelves of Walmart. If you’ve had a dream for what you want your packaging to look like, we can help make it a reality. ePac has invested in some of the best machines on the cutting edge of what packaging can be long into the future.
Whatever the case, we’ve worked with brands of every shape and size and can help your company create something that stays fresh and looks incredible. Let’s talk.
