A practical brief for selecting bottles, pouches, closures, labels and films for food and beverage products.
Food and drink packaging must be suitable for the intended product and contact conditions, protect quality through the required life, and run hygienically through filling and closing. Material descriptions and previous use with another product do not replace grade-specific documentation and a representative trial.
The Food Standards Agency’s food-contact materials guidance provides an overview of the applicable framework. Request declarations and supporting documents for the exact material, grade and intended use; a generic statement for a material family may not cover the product or contact conditions.
| Format | Selection focus | Line or use check |
|---|---|---|
| Bottle | Grade, barrier, neck finish, closure and label | Filling, capping, leakage, handling and opening |
| Stand-up pouch | Layer structure, barrier, sealant and zipper | Opening, filling, seal contamination and display stability |
| Spouted pouch | Fitment, cap, product flow and evacuation | Filling interface, torque, leak and consumer dispensing |
| Shrink or secondary film | Material, gauge, heat exposure and pack configuration | Seal, shrink, product temperature and distribution |
Packaging storage, handling and presentation to the line should protect cleanliness. Review open-container exposure, contact parts, cleaning method and changeover between products. Where packaging is reused or refilled, the cleaning, inspection and release system becomes part of the packaging specification.
Artwork must provide the required food information and remain legible through storage and use. The FSA’s packaging and labelling guidance summarises key obligations. Lancing can review label format and application, but legal artwork approval remains the responsibility of the food business and its competent advisers.
A declaration of compliance or other product-contact document addresses a defined material, use and regulatory scope; it does not prove the finished pack will achieve the required shelf life, resist leakage or run on the intended line. Keep supplier documents, migration or suitability evidence, product shelf-life work, machine-trial results and artwork approval as linked but distinct records. A change in grade, source, additive, colour, closure, barrier or use condition should trigger review by a competent person.
The responsible food business must approve the complete pack for the intended food, conditions of use, production method and legal information. A generic “food grade” description is not a substitute for product-specific evidence.
| Decision | Evidence or trial |
|---|---|
| Food contact | Applicable declaration or supporting documentation for the exact material and conditions |
| Product protection | Filled-pack shelf-life and barrier programme |
| Seal and opening | Closure or seal integrity, tamper feature and user checks |
| Information | Artwork, label adhesion, variable code and legibility after storage |
| Distribution | Filled pack, case, pallet or parcel testing |
The Food Standards Agency’s food-contact guidance and packaging and labelling guidance provide authoritative regulatory starting points. Final suitability depends on the actual application.
Food and drink packaging approval should state the leakage or seal failure that matters, how filled packs will be tested, the target markets and who controls the supporting documentation. EU exports require a separate PPWR review; a UK food-contact document or EPR record does not complete that assessment.