A Review of Vitamin and Supplement Packaging Styles

Vitamin and supplement packaging is an integral part of the industry. The foil pouch packaging you choose can have a significant effect on your costs, customer satisfaction and, as a result, your bottom line.  Although price and quality are, of course, the major factors impacting your brand's success, choosing the right packaging can also yield substantial benefits. As leaders in the protective packaging industry, we know a thing or two about vitamin and supplement packaging styles and their respective benefits. Full disclosure: We make a certain kind of protective packaging, but the choice of which packaging is most suitable for you is, of course, subject to the particular characteristics of your products and needs of your brand.

So let's look at the various vitamin and supplement packaging styles and the potential costs associated with each:

Plastic jars and "pill containers".  These are what most people consider to be traditional protective packaging for vitamins/supplements. Usually small or medium in size, the largest rarely contains more than 500 capsules, gel caps, or tablets. They are strong and protect contents fairly well. They are almost all outfitted with screw on, twist on, or snap on caps which, if used correctly, will preserve product shelf life.

Liquid vitamin packaging. Made of either glass or plastic, these bottles serve as protective packaging for your liquid vitamin products. They, too, do a decent job of protecting the contents from both spoilage and spillage. However, the potential safety hazard with glass is obvious, and the plastic containers are also subject to damage when dropped. As well, because of the rigidity of the barrier, storage can be an issue.

Foil pouch packaging. This category encompasses a variety of packages including stand up pouches, flat barrier bags also known as 3 side seal bags, spouted stand up bags for liquids, and flat bottom flexible box bags, among other styles. This vitamin and supplement packaging, made from multiple layers of scientifically-designed, food grade, FDA approved film, will protect your vitamin products from vapor, odor, moisture, pests and, if desired, unwanted air and/or UV light, both of which may degrade the product over time.

So, the question is, which option is the best choice for your brand? Only you can answer that question, of course.  Here are some factors to consider so that you can arrive at the right answer.

Strength. To be fully effective, vitamin and supplement packaging should protect contents from vapor, odor, moisture, pests, and, if necessary, UV light, and unwanted extra air. Durability and puncture-resistance are two desirable features.

Shelf life. Does your protective packaging choice seal in freshness, nutrition and, when applicable, flavor? Are there features that enhance the ability of the package to preserve the shelf life of your product?

Convenience. Is your vitamin and supplement packaging convenient to use? Easy to open? Easily stored? Does your protective packaging have pour spouts and resealable caps?

Branding. How well does your choice present your product line in the marketplace? The best packaging offers both you and retailers options for both labeling and store display.  This includes:

Packaging that permits the use of product labels and stickers or printing customized to your exact specifications (the more colors the betters)

• Product display options. For example, can the package stand on a shelf or, if desired, be hung via hang holes?
• Do have a choice of clear or opaque packaging barriers?
• Are your choices limited or can options be combined?

Social responsibility. Will your choice of protective packaging demonstrate your brand's commitment to the environment? Is it recyclable? Is the manufacturing process energy efficient? How much waste goes to a landfill if your choice isn't recycled? 

In closing, there are a lot of things to think about pertaining to vitamin and supplement packaging.  The traditional pill bottles and jars have been around since the beginning of time (it seems) but foil pouch packaging, like stand up pouches, really provides merchandising options that can separate a company and its brand from the competition.  Foil pouch packaging will protect the contents while at the same time provide the strength, shelf life, convenience, and social responsibility listed above.  As always trust your packaging partner for guidance and direction.