In 2020 pet population grew in developed markets, and saw a major pivot in ownership to higher income households. The trend continued in 2021, with the consolidation of the working habits of the families that decided to adopt and care for one or more pets 

Pet food in pouches: practical and popular
This type of flexible packaging offers several advantages, such as convenience, a large capacity in relation to the size of packaging and, if produced with the correct materials, a long shelf life. For this reason, it is the ideal choice for the packaging of dry products (kibble or treats), as well as semi-moist products (meat-based food), or liquids (soups). Pouch packaging is usually made by f/f/s machines, such as the ones designed by Volpak, which boasts more than 40 years of experience in this field. These machines span all the stages, from forming to filling to hermetic sealing. These processes are critical: in the case of pet food, machines must dose the product with precision and handle it correctly during package forming and sealing, while meeting strict hygiene standards. 

In the case of liquid pet food packaging (typically meat with sauces), it’s essential to be able to count on machines capable of guaranteeing the highest precision in the pouch forming and sealing stages, in addition to a careful handling of the packaging. These are mainly low-capacity pouches, usually around 200 ml, typically used for mid to high end packaging and products, sold predominately in developed markets.

The best solution, for both dry and liquid products
On the other hand, dry products, such as kibble, require machines that can work at high speeds and with large formats, half a kilo and above. These products are mainly aimed at the U.S. market as well. The specific solutions designed for f/f/s packaging also allow a more efficient offsetting of the initial investment, ensuring the same quality and characteristics of pre-formed packages - mostly used in Us & Asian markets - in terms of shelf-life.  The reels of packaging material are less expensive than pre-formed pouches and allow to save material, which benefits the environment as well. 

Sustainability is, in fact, another important issue, especially in high-income regions such as the United States, Europe and Japan. When it comes to this issue, Volpak’s machines can offer a competitive advantage since they can employ environmentally friendly mono-materials for the packaging stage. Pouches are also a convenient type of packaging in terms of layout, since there is no empty, unused space inside them. This also reduces transportation costs.

All of this is possible without sacrificing quality: pouches made with Volpak’s machines typically feature a double sealing system, the first one ensures an effective hermetic sealing and is produced by an ultrasound system, but this is not all. To be more aesthetically appealing, Volpak’s packaging also include a second sealing system, which is produced by a heat-sealing tool and serves mainly an aesthetic function.