1. Poor quality zip locks. You may be aware the majority of stand up pouches have zip locks. What you may not realise is most manufactures, to keep costs down, will use cheap and hard plastics when making their zip locks, but not mentioned this in their product specification. Moreover using hard and cheap materials for zip locks such as bopp, can cause opening and closing issues resulting in failed zip locks and completely ruined pouches. Experience and customer feedback shows zip locks work best with materials such as PE, PET, CPP & LDPE and when made from these material they close secure every time and open with ease.

2. Dangerous properties hidden in the material. Most of you are aware of BPA and BPA free products. In recent times BPA has been removed from most food grade plastics due to its links to various health issues. However what you may not be aware of is the use of phthalates. Phthalic acids are used to make products such as plastic packaging film, containers and medical tubing, they are also used in polyvinyl chloride plastics to help them flex easier. What’s now concerning is early testing of phthalates on laboratory animals is showing negative effects on the reproductive system. This suggests these properties could be dangerous when mixed with food products and later consumed. Over the past 25 years the use of phthalates has doubled. Consequently it’s wise to consider the use of these products and how they may effect your existing packaging or just keep clear of them.

3. Material quality. A little like zip locks most manufactures will use lower quality materials to reduce costs of their product even though it will still look the same. Using lower quality materials will instantly lower the barrier protection of your product, lessens shelf life and drastically reduce product freshness. This then leaves packaged food products exposed to product recalls and food poisoning. When selecting your material its best to select the best possible materials available.