Nuts are a popular snack, their taste and freshness are greatly valued. Nuts are particularly susceptible to external factors such as moisture, light and oxygen. So an excellent nut packaging is crucial. Let me introduce you to the advantages of nut packaging and the different types of packaging as well as the packaging machines.
The Function of Nut Packaging
Protection
Protective capability is naturally one of the fundamental capabilities of nut packaging. Keeping the packaging safe from damage during loading and shipment keeps the nut product safe from leakage. Many external factors can affect nuts. When nut products are exposed to moisture, it will become damp, then they lose their crunchiness and become stale and deteriorate more quickly. Exposure to light deteriorates the quality of nuts, the harmful microorganisms also can cause spoilage and deterioration of nuts. And nuts are high in fat, they can easily go rancid when exposed to air. The protective properties of nut packaging also include good barrier properties against moisture, light, oxygen, harmful microorganisms, and other factors.
Safety
The safety of the packaging is not only reflected in its protection ability, but also in the display of the necessary information. Information such as ingredients, expiration date, nutrition facts and allergen warnings are indicated on your nuts package. This information should be clearly and conspicuously displayed.
Appeal
Nuts are usually attractively packaged, many with high-quality nut graphics, clear product information, brand logos and even interesting graphics. And some packages have transparent windows or they are transparent jar packaging, so you can clearly see the appearance and color of the nuts inside. These packages greatly increase your desire to buy, and whether in bags or jars, people will always take a second look at such packaging.
Convenience
Many nut packages can be folded and resealed with designs such as zipper designs or resealing tapes that are easy to open and close. They are easy to store and carry. Some canned packages are equally easy to use, the easy-to-open lid is a distinctive feature.
What are the Customizable Features for Nuts Packaging?
Zippers
Zippers are a great solution to achieve the resealable feature. Unlike potato chips, we usually don’t finish the nuts in one go after opening the nut packages. Nuts go bad easily after opening, so re-sealability is especially important. The convenience of zippers makes them the obvious choice for re-sealable nut packaging. Common zippers include slider zippers, pull tab zippers, flange zippers, dual track zippers and so on.
Nitrogen Flushing
Nitrogen flushing is useful for nuts in two aspects: it protects the quality and freshness of the nuts, and it provides a cushion for the nuts during loading or shipment, protecting the product from damage.
- Oxygen reduces the quality of the nuts, because nuts will react with oxygen, the oils in nuts will go bad, and then the nuts lose their color, taste and smell. Nitrogen, on the other hand, does not react with the nut products or affect its flavor. The quality of the nuts is ensured by removing the oxygen and filling it with nitrogen.
- Nitrogen maintains the inflated state of the packaging better than air. It is an inert gas that does not easily react chemically with other substances. Moreover, the molecular size and characteristics of nitrogen enable it to maintain an even pressure distribution in packaging. For all these reasons, nitrogen is more capable of maintaining the inflated state of packaging and providing better physical cushioning than air.
Tear Notch
A tear-off notch is naturally an effective design for easy opening of nut packaging. Adding a tea notch on top makes it easy to tear the top end and open the package, then get the nuts.
Window
It is a shear and transparent plastic film present in the middle of flexible packaging.
Many people consider it important to see the product inside the packaging before buying, and the window design perfectly meets this need. You can see the shape and color of the nuts through the window and make a preliminary judgment about the quality of the product. And this design enhances the attractiveness of the product.
Vacuum Packing
Nuts Vacuum packaging uses suction to remove oxygen from the packaging. Without oxygen, the growth of bacteria and fungi is limited and reduces the risk of oxidation of the nuts. By creating an anaerobic environment, the shelf life of the nut products is greatly extended. Since the oxygen in the package is removed, the packaging space is reduced, allowing more products to be shipped per trip. Largely reduced the shipping costs. It also saves storage space so that your warehouse can store more products.
Desiccant Packs
Adding a desiccant pack to the packaging can absorb the moisture inside the packaging, making the nut products drier and preventing them from losing their crunchiness due to moisture. It also helps prevent the growth of mold and bacteria. Because moisture and humidity create an ideal environment for mold and bacteria to grow, which can damage the product.
Types of Nuts Packaging
Stand Up Pouch
Nuts Stand-up pouches are a very common packaging type. Often used to package nuts like almonds, cashews, pecans, pistachios, and pistachios. Stand-up pouches have a bottom gusset, which allows them to stand. And it also increases their packaging space. The stand-up feature also makes it more stable to be filled, reducing the possibility of spills and waste. Self-standing is also very good for shelf display. They are usually resealable, along with the lightweight nature of the material makes them very practical. Their strong barrier properties make them effective at keeping nuts fresh. The highly customizable nature also makes them increasingly popular.
Pillow Pouch
It looks like a pillow in shape, and its structure is very simple: it has three seals: top, bottom and back. The back seal runs the entire length of the pouch. They may not be as easy to seal, and they may require additional sealing measures such as clips or sealing strips to keep the remaining nut products fresh after opening. The pillow shape makes it very easy to store in many places in your home. Often used to package peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and so on.
Flat Bottom Pouch
The Flat Bottom Bag has a flat base that makes the pouch look a bit like a box. The flat base makes it very stable for shelf display and reduces the risk of tipping in everyday use. The front and back of the pouch are usually large and flat, providing plenty of area for information and graphics to be displayed. Customers can see the information about the nuts product at a glance, and the beautiful graphics will make people stop and look. This type of packaging can hold a large amount of nuts, so if you want to buy a large capacity nut product, go for this type of packaging for your nut products.
Sachet and Stick Pack
These two types of small nut packaging are generally used as single-use packaging, and are often packaged in large packaging as individual packaging. They are small and lightweight, easy to carry around.
Pouches are small flat bags, usually square or rectangular in shape. And are usually made from PET or LDPE film.
Stick packs have a long, narrow tube shape with three seals – top, bottom and middle – and their slender shape makes them easy to carry in a pocket or bag.
Jar
Jars are usually made of glass or plastic and are usually highly transparent. You can clearly see the product inside, which is good for shelf display. However, this type of packaging is not resistant to light. Prolonged exposure to light can reduce the quality and freshness of the nuts. So, it is recommended to store them in an environment protected from light. The jars are reusable and resealable by twisting the lids. And they have a good airtightness and moisture resistance.
Tins
Usually made of metal such as aluminum or tinplate, durability is one of its outstanding features. It protects nut products well during loading and shipment. It is highly reusable and has good moisture, oxygen and light resistance, keeping the freshness of nuts.
Boxes
Usually made of cardboard, it has a certain degree of strength and barrier properties. Compared to packaging such as metal cans and plastic bags, the barrier properties of boxes are weaker. For example, protection against light, oxygen and moisture is weaker. They are often used as gift boxes. The packaging surface can be designed in a variety of ways, and various exquisite patterns can be designed on the surface.
Types of Nuts Packaging Machine
- Vertical Form and Seal Machine: VFFS has a small footprint, is easy to operate, highly flexible, and can be adapted to a wide range of materials and bag types. And it can package various products such as nuts, rice, beans and so on.
Film is placed on the film holder. Unwinded by the rotation of the unwinder, the film passes rollers and is transported to the forming tube. After the pouches have been formed, the nuts are filled into the pouches by a filling machine. Then sealed and output via conveyor belt.
- Premade Pouch Packaging Machine: Occupies a larger footprint than VFFS. Compared to VFFS, there is no forming step. Used to handle various premade pouches. The bags are brought to the bag opening area, where they are opened using the bag opening bars. After opening, the nuts are filled into the bag and then weighted. Finally, the top edges of the bags are glued together by the sealing jaws.
- Horizontal Nuts Packaging Machine: This machine usually uses film roll to pack nut products. The product is loaded on the conveyor and enters the infeed station. Wrapped using packaging film to form a pouch. After wrapping and pouch making, it is sealed airtight using a sealing bar.
- Jar or Bottle Filling Machine: This machine can be used to fill nuts into bottles or cans. It is a very flexible equipment that can process different sizes of cans or bottles by simply changing the tooling. The containers are placed on the conveyor and then reach under the nozzle for filling. After filling, the containers are transported to the capping and sealing area.
- Cartoning Machine: A Cartoning Machine is a machine that can pack nuts into the box. A stack of blank cartons is placed in the magazine. The gripper grabs a blank carton and transports it to the forming unit, where it is erected, folded and glued. The nuts are then placed in the open box, and finally the top flanks of the carton are permanently sealed with glue or tape.
Conclusion
A suitable nut packaging can well protect your nuts and keep your nuts fresh for a long time. You can choose from a variety of packaging forms, such as pouches, stick packs, and jars. After you have chosen the packaging type and features, you need to choose the packaging machine for your nut business.
If you are interested in nut packaging solutions, you can contact us to get more information.
