Selecting the right flexible films for snack food packaging
Few food categories are as unforgiving as snack food when it comes to packaging. A product that has lost its crunch or picked up moisture in transit is unlikely to bring a consumer back, and in a market with no shortage of alternatives, brand loyalty can be quickly lost.
Flexible film is what stands between the product and these outcomes – getting the specification right matters well beyond the cost of the material itself.
What snack products need from their packaging
Moisture and oxygen are the main adversaries in snack food packaging. A film that does not adequately restrict moisture ingress will soften textures that should stay crisp; one that allows oxygen through will degrade flavour compounds and bring on staleness well before the best-before date reflects the reality in the pack.
The barrier specification needs to be calibrated to the product, with oxygen transmission rate and water vapour transmission rate both matched to its moisture sensitivity and shelf-life requirements. A film that falls short on either count allows gradual ingress that the consumer notices long before any visible sign of failure appears on pack.
Barrier films for snack foods are only effective if the seal holds. A weak or inconsistent seal creates a path for moisture and oxygen regardless of how well the film itself performs, and for snack food packaging films, seals need to be strong, consistent and capable of holding up through the stresses of distribution.
For heavily flavoured or oily products, there is a further requirement. Strong seasonings, cheese coatings and vinegar-based flavourings can migrate into adjacent packs if the film is not up to the task – an issue that exacerbates in mixed-SKU distribution environments where products from different lines share the same pallet. Flexible packaging films for snacks need to provide a barrier to flavour migration as well as to external contaminants.
Snack type | Film requirements |
Crisps and potato chips | High moisture barrier |
Nuts and seeds | High oxygen barrier |
Dried fruit | High moisture barrier |
Popcorn and puffed snacks | Moisture barrier |
Tortilla chips and seasoned snacks | High moisture barrier |
Confectionery and chocolate | Moisture resistant film |
Film structure, machinability and high-speed lines
Multi-layer film constructions are standard in snack food packaging, with the outer layer carrying print and providing structural protection, dedicated barrier layers managing gas and moisture transmission, and an inner heat-seal layer engineered to perform consistently at the sealing station.
Structuring performance this way allows the film to be tailored to the product without having to compromise on any individual property.
Film specification has a direct bearing on how efficiently a high-speed packaging line runs, and most snack manufacturers are operating under exactly those conditions. Coefficient of friction, stiffness, thickness tolerance and heat-seal parameters all influence how the film behaves.
Indeed, a material that is poorly matched to the line will cause misfeeds, inconsistent seals and stoppages that add up to significant lost output over a shift.
Custom flexible films for snack foods account for the specific demands of the line as well as the product. Working with snack food packaging film suppliers who understand both the technical and operational side of film performance means problems are addressed at the specification stage rather than on the production floor.
Shelf appeal and sustainability
In terms of standing out to consumers, getting consistently high print quality across a snack packaging run starts with the film.
The surface needs to be compatible with flexographic or rotogravure processes to carry bold, saturated graphics accurately, and a finish that scuffs or delaminates in distribution undermines the pack at exactly the moment it matters. Snack products compete for on-shelf attention in retail outlets before they are even picked up, and flexible film print quality makes that first impression possible.
Meanwhile, mono-material film structures have improved to the point where some can now deliver workable barrier performance, which changes the conversation around sustainable snack packaging.
Recyclable snack packaging films and sustainable snack packaging films in the UK are a realistic option for more products than was the case a few years ago. However, the right match still depends on understanding what the product truly needs from its packaging and defaulting to the most sustainable-sounding option available may not always be the best course of action.
Choosing the right film
Indeed, film construction needs to be matched to the product, not the other way around.
A lightly seasoned nut mix has different barrier requirements to a heavily flavoured extruded snack; a premium brand has different print expectations to a value own-label line; a manufacturer running at 200 packs per minute has different machinability requirements to one running at half that speed.
When selecting a film, consider:
- Moisture barrier requirements
- Oxygen barrier requirements
- Product oil content
- Shelf-life targets
- Packaging line speed
- Print quality requirements
- Sustainability objectives
- Seal performance requirements
Getting the specification right means accounting for all of these variables together.
Custom vs standard packaging
Standard film constructions suit straightforward applications, but snack products with specific barrier needs, strong brand requirements and/or challenging line conditions often benefit from a custom specification.
A bespoke film can be engineered around the exact demands of the product and the machine, which reduces the risk of compromising on performance that comes with adapting an off-the-shelf solution. Manufacturers that encounter challenges with downtime, wastage and shelf-life shortfalls will know that these issues carry a real commercial cost. This makes the case for investment in a tailored specification a strong one.
Terinex Flexibles has 20 years of experience developing flexible packaging solutions for food manufacturers in the UK, with in-house flexographic print capability and a technical team that works with customers from specification through to production. As an established flexible film manufacturer in the UK, Terinex Flexibles offers snack packaging solutions ranging from standard constructions to custom flexible films for snack foods, built around the product, the line and the brand.
Contact our team for more information.