How to Package Dog Treats to Sell?
Pets are very important to their owners. A lot of attention is paid to the well-being and health of animals in modern society. Their owners treat the choice of feed with particular attention. Thus, modern manufacturers of pet food should guarantee food-safe storage and packaging to extend shelf life.
Pet food requires particular storage conditions due to a number of criteria.
- Food is stored for months. Thus, special multi-layer wrapping is required that will keep food fresh and avoid losing nutritional properties;
- Dry feed must be stored in packages that provide 100% resistance to humidity and moisture, water penetration;
- Pet food bags should not let odors go through and preserve the taste and aroma of food.
Thus, all wrapping is picked taking into account these parameters.
Key Requirements for Pet Feed Wrapping
In order to preserve all the properties of dog or cat food, proper wrapping is required. It must be made of special polymeric materials that can withstand not only temperature fluctuations but also transportation to the point of sale.
- Tightness. The quality, shelf life, and taste of the product will depend on the absence of moisture, air, and smells.
- Ease of use. Durability, stability, and reusability – all these criteria play one of the decisive roles when choosing food on store shelves.
Materials for Feed Wrapping
The top 3 widely-used materials for packing feed include:
1. Multilayer polyethylene
This is the most popular and high-quality type of packaging at the moment, which is used for storing most feeds on the market. The degree of food protection depends on the number of layers. Yet, two layers are always used, namely an external, polyethylene one on which the image is applied, and an internal, metalized one, providing complete moisture and light impermeability, strength, and tightness.
2. Paper packaging
First dry food boxes were made from thick, sometimes multi-layered craft paper. It was used only for the cheapest products. Paper is very inconvenient for these purposes since it is leaky, lets moisture through, easily torn, so it was soon almost completely abandoned. However, due to its environmental friendliness, manufacturers are re-introducing it in their production.
3. Dry food plastic wrapping
This is another economical option. A single-layer polyethylene is thin to the touch and with the same texture on the outside and inside. It is even cheaper than paper in production, but it has many disadvantages. Such packaging transmits ultraviolet light and is easily torn, so the only advantage of single-layer polyethylene is its relative moisture resistance.
Types of Packages for Pet Feed
They distinguish three main types of cat and dog treat packaging:
- Three-seam package (pillow);
- Flat bottom bag (sachet);
- Extended bags.
Most often, dry pet food is packaged in standard “pillow” bags. This packaging is reliable and simple. It is ideal for storing bulk and small-piece products. It is made from a polypropylene film up to 80 microns thick. This form of wrapping will keep the feed intact due to its strength. Even when transported or dropped, the packaging is not deformed, and the product will remain inside. The three-seam bag has a small weight, which will not affect the finished product. Typically, this type of bag is used for bulk feed batches. The weight of one package can reach up to 16 kg.
A distinctive feature of the sachet is the flat bottom. This is a bag with a flat bottom and three seams (top, bottom, and longitudinal). This type of wrapping has the following trumps:
- bags can be placed on any surface;
- it can hold large amounts of feed;
- a full-color image can be applied to wrapping, which will attract attention;
- the packaging retains its shape even after opening. Bags are well protected from punctures, abrasions, and cracks. Excellent resistance to shipping and storage in various temperature conditions.
The third class of wrapping is a standard three-seam bag with two transverse horizontal seams (top and bottom) and a longitudinal vertical seam. The increased volume of the bag up to 25 liters is perfectly used in the industry.
Tips to Improve the Product Visibility on the Shelves
When developing the design of homemade dog treat packaging, business owners should place the following kind of information on wrapping:
- business information (the brand name, legal address, contact information for complaints);
- nutritional label with lists of ingredients;
- guaranteed proportions of vitamins and other components;
- for what pet (dogs or cats) feed is provided;
- animals of what age can eat food.
Remember that to please customers, manufacturers should develop a perfect mixture of an attractive design, all the required information, stickers, and logos. Skilled designers of printing houses will help conduct a thorough analysis and develop the best solution to improve the visibility of a brand and attract pet owners.