We’ll keep your pet food fresh and flavourful.
Custom pet food packaging, rollstock, pet food bags, zipper pouches, resealable pouches, and high barrier films designed to protect freshness, aroma, durability, shelf impact, and consumer convenience across Canada & USA.
Pet food packaging helps protect kibble, treats, chews, freeze-dried products, and specialty pet food from moisture, oxygen, aroma loss, grease transfer, puncture risk, and freshness loss after opening.
Emmerson Packaging develops custom rollstock, pet food bags, stand up pouches, zipper pouches, high barrier pouches, resealable closures, and Recycle Ready options for pet food brands across Canada and the U.S.
What Makes the Right Pet Food & Treat Package?
Maintains product quality and shelf life
Pet food, treats, chews, and freeze-dried products require packaging that preserves flavour, scent, and quality. High barrier pouches and moisture, oxygen, and aroma barrier films help maintain freshness from production through storage.
Reduces damage, waste, and product loss
Kibble, bones, and larger formats need packaging that can withstand weight, puncture risk, and handling. Emmerson helps brands choose flexible structures built for durability and shelf performance.
Improves usability and keeps product fresh longer
Pet owners open and reseal packages frequently. Zipper pouches, stand-up pouches with zipper, Inno-Lok®, and press-to-close options help improve freshness and ease of use.
Supports sustainability goals and shelf differentiation
For brands exploring sustainability, Emmerson can help assess Recycle Ready options where product and infrastructure allow. Custom flexible package printing also helps packaging stand out in competitive pet food aisles.
Pet Food Products We Package
Different pet products create different packaging challenges. Emmerson helps brands match the right format, closure, and film structure to the product inside.
Dry Kibble & Large-Format Pet Food
Requires durable packaging, strong seals, puncture resistance, and format stability for heavier product weights.
Pet Treats, Biscuits & Training Snacks
Often benefit from stand up pouches, zipper pouches, resealable closures, and high-quality custom printing for shelf appeal.
Freeze-Dried & Dehydrated Pet Food
May require moisture and oxygen barrier structures to help protect texture, flavour, and product quality.
Jerky, Chews, Bones & Specialty Treats
Need packaging designed around puncture resistance, grease control, aroma management, and shelf impact.
Trial-Size, Sample-Size & Multi-SKU Pet Products
Smaller formats can support trial, variety, seasonal launches, and brand expansion.
Pet Food Packaging Challenges We Solve
| Packaging Challenge | Product Example(s) | How Emmerson Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Aroma and Freshness Protection | Treats, raw diets, high-protein products | High barrier pouches, films, and closures help maintain aroma and product quality from production through to consumer use. |
| Moisture Exposure | Freeze-dried, dehydrated, crunchy treats | Moisture barrier films help protect texture and freshness for sensitive products. |
| Oxygen Exposure | Freeze-dried foods, raw diets, specialty formulations | Oxygen barrier structures support shelf life and help prevent flavour and quality loss. |
| Grease and Oil Transfer | Oily treats, jerky, meat-based snacks | Grease-resistant packaging helps maintain package appearance and consumer experience for oily products. |
| Heavier Product Weights and Puncture Risk | Large kibble bags, bulk pet food | Durable pouch, bag, and rollstock structures support heavier products during handling, transport, and display. |
| Freshness After Opening | Multi-serve kibble, treats, resealable snack packs | Resealable options like zipper pouches and press-to-close closures help maintain freshness and convenience. |
| Shelf Competition | All retail pet food categories | Custom printing and pouch formats improve shelf visibility and product differentiation. |
| Sustainability Goals | Brands transitioning to eco-conscious packaging | Recycle Ready, PCR, PIR, and other sustainable options can be evaluated while balancing performance and durability needs. |
Pet Food Packaging Formats by Product Need
The best pet food packaging format depends on product weight, barrier requirements, shelf-life goals, consumer use, and production equipment.
- Stand-Up Pouch With Zipper - Ideal for treats, training snacks, and multi-serve formats that require shelf presence and resealability.
- Flat Bottom Pouch / Box Pouch - Useful for premium presentation, stable shelf blocking, and larger printable panels.
- Quad Bag - A strong option for larger weights and pet food products that require structure and stability.
- Rollstock - Best for high-volume form-fill-seal production where line efficiency and custom-printed film matter.
- High Barrier Pouches - Recommended for products sensitive to moisture, oxygen, grease, or shelf-life needs.
- Resealable Pouches - Supports repeat use and helps maintain product freshness after opening.
Preserve and protect with high-quality packaging. Explore our premade pouches, rollstock and added closures.
Looking to reduce your environmental impact?
We’re here to help. We’ve been a Sustainable Green Printer since 2011. As your eco-conscious packaging partner, we’ll make your transition seamless with cost-effective, greener materials that customers will truly appreciate.
Why Do Pet Food Brands Work With Emmerson Packaging
Confirmed Delivery That Protects Launches & Replenishment
Pet food brands often work around retail launch dates, promotional windows, seasonal demand, and recurring replenishment schedules. Emmerson’s 100% guaranteed delivery based on confirmed delivery dates helps reduce the risk of packaging delays that can disrupt production, slow retail rollout, or impact repeat orders.
Vendor Managed Inventory to Help Prevent Packaging Stockouts
Running out of packaging can stop production just as quickly as running out of ingredients. Emmerson’s Vendor Managed Inventory programs help pet food brands manage packaging supply more consistently, especially for recurring orders, multiple pack sizes, and ongoing retail programs.
SKU-Combination Savings for Multi-Flavour Pet Brands
Pet food and treat brands often manage several flavours, sizes, formats, and seasonal SKUs. Emmerson can help review packaging programs to identify opportunities to combine SKUs where possible, supporting better order management, cost savings, simplified inventory planning, and more consistent repeat production.
180M+ Recycle Ready Packages Sold
Sustainability matters to retailers, consumers, and pet food brands, but packaging still has to protect freshness, aroma, durability, and shelf life. With more than 180 million Recycle Ready packages sold, Emmerson brings proven experience helping brands evaluate more responsible packaging options while balancing barrier performance, product weight, seal strength, and package durability.
Custom Flexible Package Printing for Shelf Differentiation
Pet food aisles are crowded, and packaging has to communicate quickly. Emmerson’s custom flexible package printing helps brands create clear, consistent, shelf-ready packaging across kibble, treats, freeze-dried products, chews, and specialty pet food lines.
Gain industry insights from our packaging experts.
Stay ahead of the market with helpful guidance from the Emmerson team. We cover all things packaging – from sustainability trends to design direction.
Frequently asked questions
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What locations does Emmerson Packaging service?
We service all of Canada and the United States. We have warehouses strategically located throughout to ensure that from coast to coast, your product is always close.
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What are your standard lead times?
Lead times are based on where the product is being shipped to, but typically on repeat orders, standard have-ready lead times are:
- Surface print rollstock – 4 weeks
- Lamination rollstock – 5 weeks
- Bottom gusset pouches – 6 weeks
- Box pouch and quad seals – 7 weeks
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What is your minimum order quantity?
Our minimum order quantities per product type are typically (but may vary depending on the specifications of your item):
- Rollstock and Pouches – 25,000 PC per SKU
- Box Pouches – 30,000 pc per family, 10,000 PC per SKU
- Quad bags – 10,000 per SKU per order.
As we are strategically set up to manufacture large-scale orders, most quotes start with the 1 million annual impressions, but our experts can discuss this more with you.
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What is your on-time delivery rate?
We boast a 98+% on-time delivery rate. We’re so confident in our ability to deliver your project on time, we offer a rock-solid New
Product Launch Guarantee. If you miss a launch date and it’s our fault, we’ll pay a penalty fee!
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What sets Emmerson Packaging apart from other manufacturers in terms of sustainability?
- We have been producing sustainable, recycle-ready stand-up pouches since 2019
- We offer a team of dedicated sustainable packaging R&D experts to ensure that you can meet your packaging goals.
- Beyond packaging innovations, our manufacturing facilities have long concentrated on sustainability initiatives, and we are SQF level 2 Certified.
- We were the first flexographic printer in North America to adopt ISO 14001 in order to guide the creation of our environmental management system.
- We were also the first Sustainable Green Printer (SGP) in Canada and the 6th in the US.
- Our products are peanut free – and we have complete product traceability!
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What do I need to know about PCR?
- PCR materials come from plastic products that have been recycled, collected, cleaned, reprocessed into PCR resin, and then made into something new. An example of products that are used to create PCR resin would be HDPE, milk jugs.
- PCR provides excellent packaging sustainability benefits, but they may impact print quality and/or film consistency. If the package is a lamination of two substrates, the PCR can be added to the substrate that is not being printed, and the print will not be compromised. However, if the specification is one substrate and not laminated, the PCR film may impact the graphics. One of the compromises of PCR is the presence of gels or unmelts which are areas that do not melt uniformly. They will show up as small hard spots. These gels will affect print as the ink will pool around the hard spots.
- Emmerson Packaging offers 15 – 25% content. Although 100% PCR packaging is available, the resin does not melt uniformly. As a result, there can be unmelts and gels present, which are small un-melted areas in the sealant film. To minimize this impact, we advise limiting the amount of PCR in the product.
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Do you make your own film?
Yes, we make our own polyethylene films. You can choose from clear, white, or add visual impact from our line of matte finish PE films.
Our in-house Research and Development and Graphics teams can work with you to understand your goals and provide technical expertise, along with concept and design support to ensure that your goals are met. Complete our contact us form to coordinate a meeting today!
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Do you make your own plates?
Yes, we make our own plates in-house using an ESKO HD workflow.
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Do you do digital printing?
Emmerson Packaging does not currently offer digital printing. As a flexible packaging manufacturer that focuses on pet food, frozen food, Frozen Food Market Page and other markets of the like, we feel that flexographic printing is still the best solution for our customers, given their existing volumes and service requirements. We are actively exploring digital technologies and will deploy them when we feel they can meet our customers’ needs for quality and cost competitiveness.
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What are your in-house production capabilities?
Emmerson Packaging is a vertically-integrated manufacturing operation. We deliver consistent and high-quality services and products, with premium in-house production capabilities:
- HD Printing (4000 DPI resolution with 175 LPI for superior ink lay down and color control)
- High-speed flexographic presses with state-of-the-art robotic capabilities
- Print width ranges from 12” (minimum) to 65” (maximum)
- Print repeat ranges from 12 1/4” (minimum) to 49” (maximum)
- 10-colour maximum range plus combinations
- Surface or reverse sheeting or tubing
- Computer-controlled ink blending
- Graphics/Pre-Press Services
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What is the best packaging for pet food?
The best pet food packaging depends on product weight, moisture sensitivity, aroma profile, grease content, puncture risk, shelf-life goals, and consumer use. Common options include rollstock, pet food bags, stand up pouches, zipper pouches, flat bottom pouches, box pouches, quad bags, high barrier pouches, and resealable pouches.
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What packaging is best for dry kibble?
Dry kibble often requires packaging with strong seals, puncture resistance, weight support, and durability for handling and storage. Depending on production volume and shelf goals, options may include rollstock, pet food bags, quad bags, flat bottom pouches, box pouches, or high barrier structures.
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Can pet food packaging help control odour?
Yes, pet food packaging can help manage odour through aroma barrier structures, strong seals, and resealable closures. This is especially important for treats, chews, jerky, freeze-dried products, and products with strong scent profiles.
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What packaging works for freeze-dried or dehydrated pet food?
Freeze-dried and dehydrated pet food may require moisture barrier and oxygen barrier structures to help protect texture, flavour, and product quality. Resealable pouches, high barrier pouches, stand up pouches, and custom printed flexible packaging may be suitable depending on the product.