Food safety is critical to everyone, regardless if it is an individual concern or something involving an entire country.  Just recently our US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) issued a food safety grant to improve our current food safety system.  This is a great opportunity to explain stand up bags, how they are made, and how their construction is made with food safety in mind.

Stand up bags, also known as stand pouches or stand up pouches, are made with multiple layers of barrier film laminated together to create barrier properties that protect the contents from issues ranging from UV rays to odor and moisture.  Regardless if you are using a stock stand bag or something custom made or custom printed just for you, each stand bag is made with multiple layers.  Sometimes, depending on the application, a stand up bag can have 7 different film layers or as few as 2.  As mentioned in previous posts, each layer serves a particular purpose or purposes to protect the product, provide strength and even allow the pouch itself to stand effectively on a store shelf.

One of the most important layers of a stand up pouch is the inner-most layer.  Usually this layer is made with LDPE or LLDPE, verbiage for low density polyethylene or liner low density polyethylene.  This layer when heated seals and prevents anything from entering the pouch.  This layer is the one that needs to be made with food grade film, something that is certified and approved to touch the product itself. 

There are different types of LDPE and LLDPE, some made with recycled film or made with other items that are not food grade.  The best thing to do if you have a product that needs this type of protection or if you are concerned in any way, consult your stand up pouch supplier and have them "certify" or at the very least put something in writing that they are using FDA approved food grade film, also known as virgin food grade film.  You'll sleep better at night knowing your product is protected.  Want to learn more?