Recyclable Mono-material Pouch Uses One-Way Valve to Keep Soft Pet Chews Fresh

Pet food maker Mera is the first to use pre-made, mono-material, recyclable plastic FlexiBags for its semi-moist dog treats.

Matt Reynolds

Jun 9, 2020

According to a recent Mondi/Dow Premium Pet Packaging survey, published in Packaging World last fall, pet-owning customers are beginning to pay more attention to the dog food bag itself, along with what’s inside it. In the same study, one in three pet owners claimed they would switch to a brand that offers more sustainable packaging. A more recent study by PMMI's Business Intelligence,Trends and Drivers Impacting the Pet Food Industry, also identified a trend on how people, particularly in mature markets like the U.S. and Europe, “humanize” our pets, and wish to give them the best, most luxurious food. More on that study here. This accompanies a continued shift of packaging towards pouches to prevent the deterioration of nutrients through oxidation.

With these trends in mind, German pet food maker Mera Tiernahrung GmbH partnered with Mondi to expand its product line to include a new type of dog food in the form of semi-moist croquettes. Mera realized that this type of pet food would require bespoke packaging to keep the chewable morsels fresh and moist for the duration of the product’s life span, since they tend to dry out and harden without barrier layers. But they also sought the competing necessity of sustainable design and recyclability.

Mondi's EcoSolutions suite of products and services, the company says, helps clients find the most effective and sustainable way to protect their products. Following the EcoSolutions team's advice, Mera selected a pouch material and design that addressed the practical aspects of food preservation without compromising on sustainability.

“The adoption of FlexiBag Recyclable for this application advances Mera down the path toward increased sustainability. Sustainability is a top priority for us, and working together with Mondi to make our packaging better for the environment was a logical next step to help meet our goals. Mera is the first company in the pet food sector to be certified by the TÜV Rheinland according to the ZNU standard of sustainable management,” says Mera Managing Director, Felix Vos.

Pet Food Market Shows Solid Growth through 2025

The U.S. leads the world in pet food sales, says a new study from PMMI Business Intelligence, as pet owners around the world seek fresher, healthier and ethically produced ingredients—the same as they expect for themselves.

According to Trends and Drivers Impacting the Pet Food Industry, this trend to “humanize” our pets has been going on for some time, and can require changes in processing--more slowly to preserve textural integrity, at lower temperatures to preserve nutritional value, with more exotic ingredients, with a continued shift of packaging towards pouches to prevent the deterioration of nutrients through oxidation.

This change will result in an increase demand for fillers, FFS, and other pouch compatible primary packaging equipment.

The pet food market is broken up into four main food groups:

Dry Food (Kibble)
Wet Food (Pate’, Minced and Shredded, Gravies and Chunks, Morsels and Cubed)
Treats and Snacks (Biscuits, Soft Chews, Jerky, Chews and Bones)
Nutraceuticals (Vitamins and Minerals, Dietary, Enzymes, Probiotics)

A premium category exists for each of the food groups, offering grain-free, non-GMO, Organic and Essential Nutrients, often in flexible pouches to deliver freshness. Certainly, heavy-weight bulk bags and canned foods (for both dogs and cats) are still popular formats.

On the nutraceutical front, there is a lot of excitement for CBD products. According to the report, CBD still has not found its way into mainstream pet food suppliers’ menu offerings due to hesitation over regulations that would penalize CPGs. CBD products would require dedicated production and packaging lines, which presents an opportunity for OEMs to capitalize on the growth in equipment demand whenever CBD adoption becomes mainstream.

Consumers are interested in CBD for pet health, particularly for relief of joint pain. The internet offers many sites featuring pet health CBD supplements. Much like the human trend to take command of our own health (and avoid expensive healthcare bills and taking pills), a prime motivation for pet owners exploring CBD is to lower vet bills and avoid pharmaceutical prescriptions as much as possible.

Read more on this topic: Humanization of pets PMMI Business Intelligence

North America is expected to hold its lock on 39% of the global pet food market through 2024. Africa, with only 5% of the current market, will see compound annual growth rate in sales of 14%, and could overtake Europe, which will only grow at 4%.