Pet Food Packaging – Should You Use Pouches or Cans?

Since the early 19th century, food manufacturers have been using the canning process in a large scale to keep food fresh and extend the shelf life of perishable food.

The canning process was also quickly adopted by the pet food industry. In 1922, the first canned dog food in the US was introduced by Chappel Brothers of Rockford, in northern Illinois. It must have been an instant hit with the public as by 1941, canned dog food had a 90% share of the market in the US.

From Cans to Resealable Pouches

Over the last few years though, we started to see pet food manufacturers increasingly shift their packaging to pouches or bags. An obvious motivation behind this shift is that pouches allow pet owners to tear open with ease, re-seal the package and open it again for later use. These grip-seal resealable pouches cut waste, in particular if your pets can’t finish the food in one go.

Often weighing at 370g, canned pet food tends to be more in volume than pet food in pouches (which range from 300g to 100g). If you open a tin of pet food but your pet can’t finish it all, you will need to re-package the food in a separate container. Leaving open tins in the fridge is highly discouraged by health professionals as once opened food is exposed to the air, it can dry out, absorb other flavours or turn mouldy. Certain food can also dissolve the tin metal from the can walls and change the taste of the food and worse, posing a risk to your pet.

High-barrier & Other Benefits with Pet Food Pouches

Apart from being highly convenient, high-barrier aluminium foil pouches made from a laminate of PET, aluminium and LDPE also provide one of the best barriers available in the flexible packaging industry. They keep pet food away from oxygen, moisture and aroma, extending the shelf life while keeping the taste fresh for your pets.

Other benefits for using pouches in pet food packaging include:
· Transport & Storage – pouches are durable, they are easy to transport and store.
· Different sizes to choose from – unlike cans which are pretty standard in size, with pouches you can package your pet food in anything from 80mm x 155mm to 300 mm x 370 mm bags or we can make even larger ones than that. You can determine shape and size according to your own specification.
· High visibility on the retail shelves – you can have eye-catching design printed on your pet food pouches. We can custom print a great packaging design for you.

Cat Food Packaging

Many cat food manufacturers today opt to use pouches in their packaging to keep the food moist and the jelly luscious. Some smaller and gourmet cat food manufacturers also follow suit as pouches are highly cost effective for them, giving them a chance to compete with the global brands.

As in every industry, the practice adopted by the manufacturers must also be well accepted by the customers, otherwise there is no business case. Many cat owners can testify that they too enjoy the convenience of a pouch packaging, as do their beloved pets.