5 Things to Consider When Packaging Powdered Products

At Heritage Packaging, our specialties include manufacturing pouches, bags, and liners for 

• Propellants

• Pigments and Dyes

• Pharmaceutical Powders 

• Food Powders

• and more

Packaging powdered products presents unique challenges that require careful planning to maintain product integrity, prevent contamination, and ensure a seamless user experience. Selecting the right materials and design is critical to the success of the packaging. 

Here are five key factors to consider when packaging powdered products.

1. Barrier Protection & Moisture Control

   Powdered products are often highly sensitive to moisture vapor, oxygen, and other environmental factors. Exposure to humidity can cause clumping or degradation, while oxygen exposure can lead to spoilage or reduced potency.
   
   Selecting high-barrier packaging materials, such as foil laminates or multi-layer co-extruded films, helps extend shelf life and maintain product quality. We source high performance materials from our trusted domestic suppliers, and frequently use high barrier films like HD-100 when packaging powdered products.

   Packaging with resealable features also helps consumers keep products fresh after opening. This could mean something as simple as a bag with a lip that is closed after use with pressure sensitive adhesive, or something more precise like a zip-seal closure.
   

2. Powder Flow & Dispensing

   Fine powders can be prone to dusting, clogging, or uneven flow during both packaging and dispensing. Designing packaging with anti-static properties and appropriate dispensing feature s, such as spouts or easy-pour fitments, can prevent messes and improve usability. 

   Trapped air inside a package can lead to issues with powders like reduced shelf-life, so consider incorporating one-way valves, or other methods of venting like microperfing to aid in de-aeration.

3. Sealing & Leak Prevention

   Powders require secure airtight seals to prevent leaks during transportation and storage. Poorly sealed packaging can lead to contamination, product waste, and customer dissatisfaction. At Heritage Packaging, our hermetic heat-seals help ensure product integrity and compliance with industry standards and regulations. 

   Testing packaging for durability under shipping conditions is crucial to avoiding failures in the supply chain. Our quality control system incorporates tensile testing to determine seal strength, Immersion testing for leakage, and burst strength testing to assure that our packaging products meet or exceed the standards established for powders being packaged. 

4. Material Selection & Sustainability

   Choosing the right packaging material is a balance between functionality, cost, and sustainability. While flexible films and foil laminates offer excellent barrier properties and a near perfect packaging solution, it is true that country wide we don’t yet have the infrastructure to support recycling these materials in a way that is easily accessible to consumers.
   
   Since sustainability is a growing concern for many of our customers, we are eager to have honest conversations about what the current state of the plastics industry can provide while keeping customer priorities at the forefront. Each application is different, and we’re always happy to help weigh the alternatives when engineering a solution that’s right for your powdered product.
   

5. Compliance & Labeling

   Powdered products often fall under strict regulatory guidelines, depending on the industry. Packaging must meet legal and safety requirements, whether it’s food safety (FDA compliance), pharmaceutical standards (cGMP), or hazardous material classifications. Proper labeling, including ingredient lists, allergen warnings, expiration dates, and storage instructions, ensures compliance and builds consumer trust.

   At Heritage Packaging, our SQF certification helps customers with food products comply with food packaging regulations. We are also equipped for secondary operations like imprinting and labelling, and we frequently convert printed material with crucial information into pouches and bags.

Effective packaging for powdered products requires a strategic approach that considers barrier protection, user experience, leak prevention, sustainability, and regulatory compliance.

At Heritage Packaging, we specialize in developing high-performance flexible packaging solutions tailored to your product’s needs. 

If you found this list helpful, be sure to bookmark our blog and watch our Youtube videos so you’re notified when we release even more flexible packaging insights. And if you’re looking for pouches, bags, or liners for your powdered products, chat with us live online or give us a call to speak with one of our packaging experts.