Specialist Dried Food Packaging Solutions

Packaging Solutions

The dried food sector encompasses a diverse range of products, from crisps and snacks to nuts and dried fruits, each requiring specific packaging characteristics to maintain freshness and texture. These products are particularly sensitive to moisture and oxygen exposure, making barrier performance crucial while ensuring convenient consumer access and portion control.

Market Overview

The dried food and snacks market continues to expand, driven by increasing demand for healthy snacking options and on-the-go consumption. Key trends that brand owners must consider include:

Growing demand for resealable sharing formats
Rising popularity of premium and natural snack products
Increasing focus on sustainable packaging solutions
Need for enhanced freshness protection
Emphasis on convenient portion control options

Packaging Requirements

Barrier integrity

is paramount for dried food packaging, where even minimal moisture ingress can significantly impact product quality. Crisps and snacks require exceptional protection against oxygen and moisture to maintain their signature crunch, while dried fruits need precisely controlled moisture barriers to prevent them from either drying out further or becoming overly sticky. For nuts, protection against oxygen is crucial to preserve freshness and maintain flavour profiles.

Mechanical performance

plays a vital role in protecting these often delicate products. The packaging must provide robust protection against crushing for brittle products like crisps and chips, while maintaining flexibility for easy handling. Material strength must be balanced with easy-open features, particularly important in single-serve portions. For sharing packs, the structure needs to withstand multiple consumer interactions while maintaining barrier integrity.

Seal reliability

is critical in dried food applications, where the initial crunch or texture is a key quality indicator. The packaging must provide hermetic seals that prevent any moisture ingress, while incorporating convenient opening features. For resealable formats, the closure system needs to maintain its effectiveness through multiple consumer interactions, preserving product freshness throughout the consumption period.

Format flexibility

has become increasingly important as the market diversifies. From single-serve portions to family sharing bags, the packaging needs to accommodate various pack sizes while maintaining consistent performance. Premium products often require enhanced material specifications to support sophisticated printing and finishing techniques, while sustainable solutions must deliver the same level of protection through mono-material structures.