Stand-up pouch and their place in the dietary supplement b

Dietary supplements (abbreviated as NEM) are very popular. Maybe you have already drunk a protein shake or taken vitamins to increase your health and fitness.

You're not alone in this: In 2021 alone, sales in this industry were almost 2.7 billion euros in Germany. But for consumers to accept them well, suitable packaging is necessary. If you want to learn more about the industry and the types of packaging for dietary supplements, read on here.

The world of food supplements

They promise bigger muscles, less body fat or better health, while their effect is often questionable: Dietary supplements. Back then, mainly bodybuilders relied on these products, but times have changed.

Meanwhile, amateur athletes and average citizens also take the capsules and powders. According to the consumer advice center, it is mainly young people up to 29 who consume such products.

In this context, brick-and-mortar retail outlets play a greater role than the Internet in the purchase decision, as more than eight out of ten dietary supplements are sold in supermarkets, drugstores and pharmacies.

Producers are therefore dependent on designing product packaging in such a way that it stands out from the crowd of other products at retail.

But which products are common? Surely you too have stood in front of a shelf that consisted of nothing but nutritional supplements. Regardless of the point of sale, many NEMs can be found again and again:

Protein ingredients like L-carnitine
Fatty acids such as omega-3 and -6
Carbohydrates like fiber
Minerals like magnesium
Trace elements like zinc
Vitamins like vitamin C or D3
vitamin-like substances
Provitamins like beta carotene
other ingredients such as probiotics.

The world of nutritional supplements is vast and it includes protein ingredients, minerals and vitamins, among others.

Dietary supplements as hype for fitness fans and health conscious people

In November 2022, the Statista platform reported that three out of four Germans take dietary supplements. Where does the hype come from? The interest in NEMs was probably fueled by the general fitness and health trend. Everyone would like to be healthy; moreover, "higher, faster and further" applies today as never before.

While nutritional supplements are mainly sold in the "store next door", interest is often generated while surfing the Internet. There are countless blogs that deal with fitness and recommend NEMs to their readers. On platforms such as YouTube, influencers can be found presenting products of all kinds.

Fitness and health influencers sometimes also present dietary supplements. In addition, companies place classic advertisements, although there are strict rules. For example, they may only use very specific formulations to advertise NEMs.

The great caution on the subject of marketing on the part of the legislator is due to the fact that the purpose of over-the-counter products is more than questioned. There are some problems with the products. Since NEMs are not drugs, they are not tested by special authorities or subjected to a quality assurance process.

This is up to the manufacturers themselves. In addition, healthy people do not need dietary supplements, provided they eat a healthy and balanced diet. Taking them can even be harmful.

In addition, there are unfortunately some black sheep in the industry who sell untrustworthy products. Regardless of this, it is safe to assume that the nutritional supplement business will not die down in the near future.

Common packaging of dietary supplements at a glance

Our individual Stand-up pouch offers you the necessary protection for your products.

Regardless of how useful NEMs are, all products should be filled in high-quality packaging, because this has many positive effects on the economy. But what are the tasks of product packaging in this area?

The main thing is to protect the product from the undesirable loss of quality. The first thing to clarify is whether the NEMs are effervescent tablets, liquids, capsules, powders or tablets. Whether the product is of vegetable, animal or synthetic nature plays only a minor role. More important, however, are the specific ingredients and their actual sensitivity.

Many dietary supplements should not come into contact with oxygen, penetrating moisture and UV light. While only airtight packaging with a reliable barrier function helps against the penetration of oxygen and moisture, the industry relies primarily on dark-colored bottles and vials for protection against UV light. This is the case at least for liquid products.

Capsules and tablets are better placed in transparent blisters and shielded from sunlight with a protective outer carton.

The packaging must also inform the customer so that he knows what is inside. Especially in the case of dietary supplements, there is a large number of mandatory information that must not be omitted from the packaging design.

However, NEM packaging also has very practical tasks. It should be as light and space-saving as possible, so that the product can be easily transported and stored. Tins and pouches in particular offer both of these advantages. Both types of packaging are often used to store NEM powders. Although they are dry, manufacturers still rely on coated cardboard cans or those made of plastics for the cans.

One problem that is unfortunately often overlooked in the fitness scene is that many of these plastic cans are particularly harmful to the environment. They are often made of black plastic, especially if men are the intended target group.

Despite its aesthetics, black plastic can hardly be recycled because it is rarely correctly recognized as recyclable by the sensors in the waste recycling plants. Therefore, this packaging is usually incinerated instead of being returned to the raw material cycle as intended.

After all, black plastic itself is often made from old housings of electronic items, which at least slightly mitigates the damage. If recyclability is important to you in your packaging, it's best to buy only light-colored plastic packaging. An even better choice is Stand-up pouch.

Advantages of stand-up pouches in comparison with other packaging

Stand-up pouch are also known as standup pouches, standup bags and doypacks. It is a bag-shaped package that has a bottom that allows it to stand upright. So unlike regular bags, these stand securely instead of falling over and leaking. In addition, stand-up pouches are often even resealable, which ensureslasting freshness of the filled product.

Especially as Doypack, the Stand-up pouch often also includes a spout, which is useful for liquid contents. However, the pouches are also available without closures and are only sealed after filling. To access the product, the packaging is torn open at notches on one or both sides.

These features already show why standup pouches are so well suited for nutritional supplements: The contents are well protected from leakage and undesirable environmental influences. Thanks to the resealability, the filled NEM also remain permanently fresh.

Other advantages also speak in favor of this type of packaging. The upright position ensures that a particularly large area can be printed. This serves as a communication and information surface. The manufacturer therefore has plenty of space for brand logos, product information and mandatory details about the contents.

The bags can also be made in many different sizes. So it doesn't always have to be the monthly pack of NEM. Instead, the packaging is also suitable for samples to make new customers aware of the product.

These supplements are already sold in stand-up pouches

Our bags can be printed individually on the front and back.

Large stores in the food supplement industry already use Stand-up pouch . They are mainly used for protein powders and other food supplements. They are also popular for packaging snacks. One of the best-known examples is beef jerky, which is not actually a dietary supplement.

Nevertheless, beef jerky is firmly associated with the industry because it has a high protein content and tastes good. It is possible that other nutritional supplements will be marketed in stand-up pouches in the future. The numerous advantages cannot be denied.

Therefore, the bags already represent one of the most important packaging in other industries. So you should keep Stand-up pouch and Doypacks in mind if you are interested in high quality packaging solutions.

Conclusion: Do standup pouches have high relevance in the industry?

So far, Stand-up pouch and Doypacks do not yet play a major role in the packaging industry. They are only a small part of the packaging solutions. Meanwhile, manufacturers continue to rely on the tried and tested vials, blisters, cartons and cans. However, it is possible that we will soon see a change in this area, provided that the industry becomes increasingly aware of the high-quality packaging.

FAQ

Which dietary supplements are particularly in demand?
In addition to vitamins and vitamin-like substances, consumers are particularly interested in protein powders. However, there are many other products in this area.
For which dietary supplements are doypacks already in use?
Stand-up pouch and doypacks are mainly used in the food supplement industry for protein powders for shakes and other powders. In addition, you can find them in some snacks, but they are not dietary supplements.