Metalized Pouches Vs Foil Pouches: Which One Is Better?

Trends in Pouches Packaging

Pouches are the new revolution of the packaging industry.

The pouch packaging market was valued at USD 15.77 billion in the year 2017 and is expected to reach USD 20.69 billion by 2023.

The pouch packaging is witnessing the fastest growth in China, India, and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. This is due to the shift of a large population from rural to urban localities and the increasing disposable incomes.

Consumer’s preference for flexible and convenient packaging is the driver behind the pouch packaging industry. Rising competition in the food industry has led to the need for creating specialized pouch packaging.

Stringent government regulations and consumer preference for innovative packaging are also promoting the pouch packaging industry considerably. Food packaging is a major contributor to pouch packaging.

The rising sales of convenient food are one of the reasons for driving the pouch packaging industry forward.

Metalized Pouches

The metalized pouches are made from plastic polymers like polypropylene or PET which are coated with a thin layer of metal which is mostly aluminum. The coating gives a glossy metallic appearance of aluminum foil at a much-reduced price and weight.

The metal coating also enhances the barrier protection properties of the pouch. In addition to aluminum other metals like chromium and nickel can also be used for coating.

The metalized pouches provide durable packaging and keep the product safe for longer. It is also lightweight and cost-effective packaging option.

They are used for packaging in a number of industries like food and beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, etc.

Features of Metalized Pouches

Some of the main features of the metalized pouches are as follows:

Visually Appealing

The metalized foil gives a premium feel to the products. These pouches make the products stand out from the competition due to their catchy and premium appearance.

A metalized pouch always stands out when placed with paper and plastic pouches.

The marketers also use metalized pouches to gain the attention of the customers and influence them to purchase their brand.

Enhanced Barrier Properties

Due to the metal coating of the pouches, the barrier properties of the metalized pouches are enhanced significantly.

This makes them perfect to package products which need high barrier protection like food products, baby products, medicines, etc.

They keep the packaged product fresh and safe for longer and prevent spoilage and wastage of the product.

Cost-Effective

The metalized pouches are highly cost-effective to manufacture compared to the traditional rigid packaging.

They save considerable cost on the packaging.

In addition to this, the metalized pouches are easily stackable and take much lesser space thus more products can be transported with less fuel and energy consumption.

This reduces transportation costs also.

Excellent Print Compatibility

Metalized pouches provide excellent compatibility for the printing of high quality and impressive graphics.

This makes labeling the packaging easier and also allows for attractive designing of the packaging.

The attractive packaging differentiates the product packaging from the competition and influences the customers into buying it.

Usages of Metalized Pouches

Some of the major applications of the metalized pouches are discussed below:

Food Products

The food production industry has the widest use of metalized pouches for packaging.

The metalized pouches are chemical resistant so it does not react with the packaged food which allows the food products to retain their original taste and features.

These pouches also protect the food from moisture, UV light, and oxidation which keeps the food fresh for longer and avoids wastage of food.

Baby Products

Baby products need packaging which is attractive and also safe from moisture and other elements.

Metalized pouches are ideal for this and are commonly used for packaging of baby products.

It can be used for excellent customized printing of graphics and colors which make it attractive. Metalized pouches also protect good moisture barrier which keeps the product safe for use.

Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceutical products should be packaged using materials which allow for clear labeling and can protect the products from moisture and harmful microorganisms.

Metalized pouch packaging allows for clear labeling and high moisture barrier which keep the products safe.

Cosmetics

Usage of metalized foil is very common in the packaging of cosmetic products.

The use of metalized pouches provides an attractive and eye-catching packaging option which is very important for the packaging of cosmetic products. It also provides a premium and sophisticated feel to the packaged product.

The metalized foil provides options for high-quality graphics printing which is important for cosmetic products to influence the customers into purchasing the product.

The metalized pouches also provide excellent protection to the packaged products and protect them from moisture and other elements which is critical in preserving the cosmetic products and preventing damages.

Foil Pouches

Aluminum foils are used for the packaging of the products. Some of the salient details of foil packaging are discussed below:

Aluminum foil pouches are used for packaging products across various industries like food, beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, etc.

The origins of foil packaging can be traced back to the early 20^th century when Life Savers candies were packaged in aluminum foils in the year 1913. The aluminum foils have very high barrier properties which keep the packaged product safe for longer.

The growth of the frozen food industry has also driven the use of foil packaging significantly.

The use of aluminum foil has been growing exponentially in the packaging industry. Packaging foil is broadly classified into three categories-household/institutional foils, semi-rigid foil, and flexible packaging.

Features of Foil Pouches

The main features of aluminum foil packaging are provided below:

Barrier Properties

Packaging with the aluminum foil provides the advantage of excellent barrier properties.

The foil packaging provides complete protection from light and oxygen.

The foil also protects the products from moisture and UV light and keeps the product fresh and free from spoilage. When used for packaging food items, it creates a shielding layer and keeps the food fresh.

 Locks Heat and Freshness

Foil packaging keeps the heat and freshness locked in for longer. This is particularly useful for packaging food products as the customers can enjoy the taste and freshness of the products better and for longer.

The foil packaging also comes with versatile packaging options like tear zippers, zip locks, etc. 

Lightweight

The aluminum foil packaging is lightweight. It reduces the transportation cost as more quantity of the products can be transported by using lesser fuel and energy.

This reduces the environmental footprint of the packaging also. The foil packaging is also durable and provides good protection to the packaged products. 

Eco-Friendly

The aluminum foil is eco-friendly as it can be recycled many times over without any loss of quality.

The aluminum foil does not need to end up in landfills or the ocean beds as they can be recycled.

This reduces the threat to environmental degradation and makes it an ideal packaging material.

Usage of Foil Pouches

The major applications of foil packaging are as follows:

Food Products

Aluminum foil packaging is most commonly used for the packaging of food products. The foil packaging helps to keep the food items fresh for longer and reduces the waste of food. This is achieved due to the excellent barrier properties of the aluminum foil.

The foil packaging can also be made microwave ready and used directly in the microwave. 

Pharmaceuticals

Medicines are an important product which is packaged using the aluminum foils.

The aluminum foils provide a complete 100% protection against light, moisture, and other gases.

It also provides excellent protection from bacteria and other microorganisms.

The medicines must be kept safe from moisture and other elements which the aluminum foil packaging achieves easily. 

Electronics

The aluminum foil is also used for packaging of electronic products.

These are anti-static foils which provide excellent protection to the expensive electronic items from moisture and static damage.

The foil allows for customized printing and is opaque which ensures that the product cannot be seen from outside. It also has very good puncture resistance and surface resistance.

Cosmetics

Cosmetic products are widely packaged using aluminum foils.

The foil packaging due to its superb barrier properties provide excellent protection to the cosmetic products and prevents them from spoilage.

The packaging is durable and lasts for a long time.

Metalized Vs Foil Packaging 

Some of the key differences between metalized pouches and the foil packaging are as follows:

Cost of Manufacturing

Metalized pouches are made from plastic polymers like propylene or PET and are coated with aluminum by vaporization. These metalized pouches give the appearance of metal with its gloss.

The aluminum foils, on the other hand, are made from thin sheets of real aluminum and thus are many times costlier compared to the metalized pouches.

Metalized pouches offer more value for money and reduce the overall packaging cost compared to the foil packaging.

Printing Capabilities

Printing capabilities are an important consideration for choosing the packaging material for products. Both the foil and metalized pouches can be printed upon in a variety of manners and it leads to different optical variants.

The gloss achieved with the metalized pouch is higher than the foil this leads to a stronger mirror finish on the metalized pouches.

The better printing capabilities on the metalized pouch make it a better alternative than the foil where impressive graphics and labels have to be printed to make the product more attractive to the customers and influence the customers into buying the product.

Chemical Resistance

Chemical resistance is a vital feature in which the packaging materials need to have.

Metalized pouches are made from plastic polymers which are much more chemically inert and resistant compared to the foil. The higher chemical resistant feature of metalized pouches makes it ideal for packaging food products.

They do not react with the chemicals in the food products and ensure that the food products retain their original features and taste.

Foils are not suitable for packaging acidic, alkaline, or salt-containing foods as longer contact and exposure of the foil to such food products can be harmful and make the food unsafe for consumption.

Puncture Resistance

The metalized pouches have better puncture resistance than the foil packaging.

The puncture resistance is a measure of the maximum force or energy needed to break the packaging material. The package is subject to various wear and tear from the point it is packaged until it arrives on the retail shelves.

The package is likely to be flexed number of times and this can lead to pin-hole and flex-cracking.

This can create microscopic punctures which can damage the product.

Due to higher puncture resistance, the metalized pouches are more durable than the foil packaging and provides better protection.

Seal Performance

Seal performance of the metalized pouches is better than the foil. This is due to the differences in the surface characteristics.

When the foil is exposed to moisture in the environment, it creates aluminum hydroxide and thus it is prone to inconsistent treat levels across the web. This results in poor adhesion properties of the foil.

This limitation of the foil can be resolved by metalized pouches which have much-improved adhesion properties. The better adhesion properties of metalized pouches mean that lesser sealant is required for creating a strong bond which cuts down on the cost.

Barrier Properties

Barrier properties indicate the protection which the packaging provides from different elements like moisture, UV light, oxidation, etc. The aluminum foil packaging has higher barrier properties than the metalized pouches.

These foils are impermeable to water and gases and provide excellent barrier protection to the packaged products. Foils also provide light protection and thus it ensures that the packaged product stays fresh for longer time periods.

Metalized pouches have fewer barrier properties but due to their cost-effectiveness and other unique properties, they are popular in the packaging industry.

Dead Fold Characteristics

Foil packaging has a drawback of possessing dead-fold properties. Due to this feature, the foil packaging develops permanent creases and wrinkles.

When the product is subject to transit and moves through different marketing channels to reach the store shelves, it develops a lot of wrinkles and crumples.

This degrades the look and feels of the packaging and it appears shopworn to the customers.

Metalized pouches do not suffer from this drawback and can bear the transit and looks fresh and original appearance with its graphics intact. This creates a better impression on the customers on making the purchase decision.