Doypacks are a box office hit - since their invention, more than 25 billion of the practical Stand-up pouch have been produced worldwide. They are often used to package food. But what contents are doypacks particularly suitable for and what advantages do they have over other packaging solutions?

By way of introduction, what is a doypack and what are its advantages?

Doypack - the Stand-up pouch owes this name to the Frenchman Louis Doyen, who invented the practical packaging in 1963. Originally, doypacks were used for Louis Doyen to pack fruit juice and olives. Today, this type of packaging is used for a wide range of different food products such as coffee, spices, dried fruits and soups.

The advantage of the doypack: it is airtight and therefore able to optimally preserve the aroma of its contents optimally. At the same time, it protects food from oxidation processes and from taking on foreign flavors from the environment.

Another plus point is that the design of a stand-up pouch saves material and minimizes the space required when empty. At the same time, it allows the filled bags to be set up and attractively presented.

The Doypack consists of a design as simple as ingenious three parts. Two side parts are welded together and with a round or lenticular bottom part. The latter serves as a stand and can be folded into the empty bag to save space.

Most doypacks have a resealable pressure seal, which is accessed by two tear notches in the bag material when first opened.

The material the Doypack is made of always depends on its planned filling. There are variants made of plastic film, paper and paper with plastic coating - whereby sustainable raw materials can be used in all options.

What are the requirements for food packaging?

Legally, doypacks are treated the same as any other item with which food comes into contact on its journey from manufacture to consumption. This class is referred to as "food contact materials and articles." It extends from milking machine hoses to food packaging to tableware and cutlery.

For plastic packaging such as Stand-up pouch or Flat pouch , European Commission Regulation No. 10/2011 lists the permitted monomers and polymers.

A risk assessment or opinion from the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) is available for each substance. New, biologically based plastics or new recycling processes for obtaining plastic for food packaging must also undergo an approval procedure at EFSA before they are launched on the market.

Food contact materials and articles must not transfer their ingredients/components to the food in such a way that they endanger health or there is an odor and taste impairment.

What requirements do retailers and consumers place on packaging?

Nowadays, it is considered a basic requirement that packaging does not compromise food safety. In addition, its primary task is to protect food from damage caused by external influences.

For example, the right packaging prevents raw eggs from breaking or flour and sugar from becoming contaminated. Plastic packaging effectively protects its contents from moisture, while the opaque variant additionally shields food from UV radiation and oxidation processes.

All these strategies serve to increase shelf life. After all, if food is not bruised, contaminated and attacked by oxygen radicals, it offers microorganisms and their decomposition processes less of a target. Simply put: Well-packaged food spoils less quickly.

What else is important for customers:

• Easy handling: Consumers expect packaging that is easy to open and convenient to close again. Stability in the refrigerator or pantry is also perceived as advantageous. The Doypack excels on both counts.
• Informative design: ingredients, nutritional values, proof of origin - the customer wants to find the important information at a glance. Doypacks have the advantage that they can be printed over the entire surface.
• Lightweight transport: Not everyone likes lugging around full shopping bags, and many city dwellers also travel to the supermarket by bike or on foot. Packaging with a low tare weight helps keep the load in the bag or bicycle basket in check.

What are producers and retailers interested in when it comes to packaging?

• Wide range of design options: Whether it's a kraft paper look, metallic effects or transparent elements - Stand-up pouch in particular scores points with more possibilities compared to cartons and screw-top jars. Since all information can be printed on the Doypack, there is no need for labels.
  
• Reduced space requirements and low transport weight: Empty Doypacks take up a minimum amount of space - when filled, they only marginally increase the transport weight of a product. These properties also enable Stand-up pouch to score points in a direct comparison with other packaging materials.

What are the requirements in terms of sustainability?

Despite all the euphoria for the Doypack, one pressing requirement remains: Modern packaging must be environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Here, recycled paper and cardboard are convincing with their resource-saving use of raw materials and good recyclability. Glass jars and bottles are also easy to recycle and reuse in the reusable system.

How does Stand-up pouch made of plastic compare?

One ecological advantage of the stand-up pouch is its low material consumption. If you compare a Doypack with a plastic bottle that holds the same volume,up to 70 percent of the packaging material can besaved at Stand-up pouch . However, because plastic is still used, the following aspects are important:

• Recyclability of the material: Not every plastic is made for mechanical recycling, in which new Doypacks can be created from old ones. Some types of plastic and plastic mixtures can only be chemically decomposed or used for energy generation after use.
• Use of renewable raw materials: Nowadays, plastics do not have to come from petroleum products. The industry has developed processes in which starch from corn or grain is first converted into sugar and then by bacteria into polymers (e.g. polylactic acid). The result: bio-plastic that conserves resources and is optionally biodegradable.

When bio-plastics are used and the low weight of the Doypacks saves energy during transport, the stand-up pouches can save up to 60 percent CO2 over their lifespan compared to jars and cans.

Barrier layers for food: protection from external influences and preservation of flavor

Plastic makes Doypacks tear-resistant and resilient. In terms of food safety, however, they also fulfill another task. Protecting food from the effects of oxygen is best achieved with a barrier layer in the packaging material.

1. Doypacks made of paper are provided with a layer of polyethylene for this purpose.
2. Doypacks made of monofilm work with a three-layer structure in which two layers of polyethylene (PE) enclose a layer of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) like a sandwich. EVOH is considered a particularly effective barrier layer when it comes to preventing oxygen penetration.
   
   

Doypack	Cardboard box	Glass	Can
Saves material low volume and own weight UV protection Aroma protection fully printable good to recycle	Waste paper as a possible material good opportunities for recycling	Reusable option Waste glass as material possible	unbreakable

Doypacks for soups and sauces

Stand-up pouch made of plastic fulfill many of the features that classic food cans have, but also bring other advantages. Especially with liquids such as soups, sauces and purees, they can play out the following advantages:

• Convenient portioning and resealing: Easy handling of liquids is made possible when Doypacks are equipped with a pouring valve that can be opened and closed as desired by means of a closure cap.
• Suitable for hot and cold food: This property refers to the manufacturer and consumer side. Sterilized products can be packed hot during filling and reheated in the pack at the consumer - by microwave or steamer. On the other hand, doypacks are suitable for chilled, fresh food with a shorter shelf life, which the customer stores in the refrigerator.
• Practical food packaging for on the go: especially travelers and outdoor lovers appreciate the light weight of the packaging and the practical handling when heating.
• No risk of glass breakage: As a customer, you have certainly been sensitized to the issue of glass splinters in food due to recalls. Parents who carry fruit puree for their children certainly prefer the practical Stand-up pouch when they are out and about.

Doypacks for dry food and dried fruit

Dry foods such as dried fruits, freeze-dried fruits, flour or sugar are also suitable for packing in paper Stand-up pouch .

The doypacks for this are usually made of kraft paper, the paper grade with the highest strength. Kraft paper is made from almost 100 percent cellulose fibers and is also used as a resilient base material for paper sacks, shopping bags and emery paper.

Doypacks for teas and spices

For aromatic foods such as tea and spices, the focus is on packaging that protects the aroma of the contents and prevents it from spreading to foods stored in close proximity.

In order to protect ground spices, which offer a large surface for oxidation and microorganisms to attack, as well as possible from environmental influences such as light and oxygen, many manufacturers rely on multilayer doypacks. For example, the material is made up of three layers: polypropylene, metallized polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene.

Another advantage of doypacks: bags with small dimensions, for example a volume of 35 ml, allow you as a customer to consume fresh teas and spices quickly without experiencing flavor loss.

Fresh food like fruits and salads

Admittedly, as a customer you want to be able to take a closer look at fresh fruit and salads before buying them. Therefore, opaque doypacks are only suitable for the presentation of fruits and salads to a limited extent.

However, for some time now they have been conquering the sector of fruit purees and smoothies - here, pictures of the contents can be printed on the pouch packaging. For pureed fruits and vegetables in the refrigerated counter, the Doypack plays out its advantage.

The multi-layer plastic material optimally protects the contents against oxidation and spoilage. Portioning is very easy thanks to the spout with cap and the customer can conveniently store leftovers in their own refrigerator until they are used up.

Conclusion: Doypacks are a sensible packaging alternative for food products

The Doypack is an all-rounder among packaging. The Stand-up pouch keeps UV rays out, increases shelf life and protects the flavor of its edible contents. For a world with sustainable packaging solutions, Doypacks throw into the balance the material savings, the benefit of renewable raw materials and the reduced transport energy due to a lower packaging weight.

FAQ

Question: What are the advantages of the Doypack?
Answer: The Doypack can be printed all over, saves space and can be made from sustainable materials. It also offers practical resealability in many situations.

Question: For which foods is the Doypack suitable?
Answer: Among other things, Doypacks are ideal for coffee, teas, spices, dried fruits, sauces and soups.

 

Do you have any questions about our Doypacks? Feel free to contact our experts who will be happy to assist you or write to us via hello@palamo.com.