The most common misconception about pet dental chews and meat sticks is that “thicker bags are less likely to tear.” In reality, during transportation, a small sharp corner often ends up pressing against the film surface. Strip-shaped snacks also move repeatedly inside the box, continuously rubbing the same area. Two structures with the same total thickness can show significantly different performance in terms of puncture resistance and flexibility.
This type of packaging should be tested starting with the most challenging real product. Select the longest, hardest, and sharpest snacks, fill them at normal capacity, then proceed with sealing, boxing, and simulated transportation. Using only smooth samples for display bags will not yield reliable results.
Sharp corners cause concentrated stress
Nubbly sticks, bone-shaped snacks, and hard meat jerky concentrate pressure on small contact points. The toughness of the film material, interlayer bonding, fold resistance, and surface friction all affect the outcome, and simply increasing the thickness of a single layer is not a solution. To determine which layer to adjust, you can first refer to HASUPACK’s guidelines.Composite Packaging Bag Layer Structure DescriptionUnderstand the division of responsibilities for each layer.
When testing samples, record the product orientation, location of damage, and pinholes after transportation. If damage consistently occurs in similar locations, check the bag dimensions and fill level: a tightly sealed bag may cause the contents to continuously press against the film surface, while a loosely sealed bag may increase movement and friction.
Oil and debris can bring issues to the sealing process.
The oils on the surface of the dried meat may transfer to the bag opening, and the fragments of the dental chew can fall into the heat sealing area. A continuous seal does not necessarily mean there are no tiny channels inside. Simply increasing the temperature may only cause the film material to deform, but it does not eliminate the contamination issue.
Observe the material drop path, bag mouth reserve, cleaning before sealing, temperature, pressure, and time. Production trial runs should be conducted at normal speed, as slow manual sampling allows more time for powder particles to settle, often resulting in easier sealing compared to actual production.
The barrier requirements depend on the formula and sales cycle.
High-fat meat jerky, freeze-dried snacks, and low-fat biscuits have different sensitivities to oxygen, moisture, and light. Material selection should be based on product data, target shelf life, and distribution environment, rather than standardizing all pet snacks into one “high-barrier bag.”
Pet food and treats should be stored in a cool, dry place and kept in their original packaging with batch number and expiration date, which is consistent with industry guidelines in most markets; refer to FEDIAF The relevant instructions. The acceptance methods for puncture resistance and seal strength can be referred to. ASTM F88/F88MThis also reminds packaging developers that the readability of wear-resistant and traceability information is also part of packaging performance.
Zipper solves usage issues, not the problem of unopened sealing.
Pet treats that require multiple openings are suitable for testing the zipper, but the zipper cannot replace the permanent seal before the first opening. Hard treats may get stuck near the zipper, leading consumers to mistakenly believe the container is fully closed.
Perform multiple open-close tests using bags filled with product to observe if the zipper is contaminated with debris, whether the bag opening is easy to reach into, and if the bag body can stand stably. For large-sized packaging, the handle and bottom stress points should also be tested.
Transport testing should be consistent with the actual packaging method.
Single bag drop testing is just one part of the process. The force application methods differ in e-commerce shipping, full-case logistics, and pallet transportation. The outer box dimensions, bag arrangement, gaps, and stacking height all affect the damage results. Over-tight packing may push sharp corners against the bag walls, while loose packing increases bag-to-bag collisions.
ASTM StandardsSealing Strength Method F88/F88MSealing evaluation can be conducted with the assistance of leakage, drop, vibration, and actual shelf life tests. The testing methods, sampling locations, and acceptance criteria should be agreed upon prior to mass production.
What should be provided during sample making
- Snack Formula Characteristics, Surface Oil, Individual Size, and Sharpest Sample
- Net Content, Bag Dimensions, Packaging Quantity, and Sales Channels
- Shelf Life, Storage Temperature and Humidity, and Transportation Method
- Filling speed, sealing equipment, and whether a zipper, handle, or tear notch is required
- Planned puncture, sealing, leakage, and transportation acceptance methods
HASUPACK’sPet Food Packaging SolutionsCommon bag types and structural orientations are listed. For products such as dental sticks and dried meat, the actual product and transportation tests should still be used for selection.
Common Issues in Projects
Can thickening solve the problem of bag punctures caused by chew sticks?
It’s not necessarily the case. Tensile strength, tear resistance, interlayer structure, bag tightness, and packaging methods all affect puncture resistance. The candidate structures should be compared using real contents.
Will opening the transparent window affect the shelf life?
The transparency area may affect the overall barrier and light-blocking performance. Whether it is suitable depends on the formula, window material, area, lighting conditions, and shelf life results.
Can meat jerky and dental chews be packaged in the same bag?
It is possible, but the comparison must include the oil content, sharp corners, loading capacity, and sealing contamination. The shared structure should be based on test results, not just procurement assumptions.
For rigid pet treats, the reliability of packaging ultimately depends on pinholes, sealing performance, and integrity after transportation, rather than the total thickness listed on the quotation. Only by testing the most challenging product can the results be meaningful.