Posts by Sarah Gilbert

How to Specify Barrier Performance for Flexible Food Packaging

2 weeks ago

Barrier performance is the single most important technical decision in food packaging development, yet it remains one of the least well-documented. Get it wrong and your product loses shelf life,…

A guide to spout pouches, their applications, sizes, and when they outperform rigid bottles on cost, weight, shelf impact, and sustainability for UK brands.

Spout Pouch Explained: Applications, Sizes, and When They Outperform Bottles

Technical Insights

2 months ago

A decade ago, the spout pouch was a niche format used mainly for baby food and sports drinks. In 2026, it sits on UK shelves across beverages, household cleaners, pet…

A practical guide to flexible packaging formats, films, and UK retailer specs for ready meals. Compare retort pouches, ovenable films, and lidding options.

Flexible Packaging for Ready Meals: Formats, Films, and What UK Retailers Expect

Procurement Guide

3 months ago

The UK ready meal market is worth over GBP 4.3 billion a year and growing faster than almost any other chilled food category. For brand owners and NPD teams, the…

Quad Seal Pouches vs Flat Bottom Pouches: Which Is Right for Your Product?

Technical Insights

4 months ago

Ask ten packaging buyers what the difference is between a quad seal pouch and a flat bottom pouch and you will get ten different answers. The two formats look similar…

pEPR Modulated Fees 2026: What Flexible Packaging Buyers Need to Know

Technical Insights

4 months ago

The packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) scheme is about to change the economics of flexible packaging in the UK. From its second year onwards (2026/2027), the flat base fees that…

Planning Pouch Orders: Balancing Unit Cost, Cash Flow and Warehouse Space

Procurement Guide

5 months ago

Planning pouch orders looks straightforward on a spreadsheet. In practice, it rarely is. Every decision sits at the intersection of unit cost, cash flow strain, and the very real limits…

cross-section of a stand up pouch showing laminate layer

Why Pouches Fail: Common Causes of Leaks, Bursts and Delamination

Technical Insights

5 months ago

Pouch packaging has become the format of choice across food, pet care, nutraceuticals, and household products in the UK. The appeal is clear: lightweight, shelf-efficient, printable across 360°, and available…

Flexible Packaging for Frozen Food: What UK Retail Buyers Actually Look For

Industry Applications

6 months ago

Flexible packaging plays a critical role in the frozen food category, especially in the UK market where expectations are high and margins are tight. Frozen food packaging is not only…

Red and white custom printed Aropack stand-up pouch flexible packaging for food and retail brands

Stand Up Pouches: Your New Favorite Packaging?

Technical Insights

6 months ago

We’ve all seen them popping up everywhere, haven’t we? Those neat little bags that just seem to stand up on their own. We’re talking about stand up pouches, and honestly,…

Colour consistency in flexible packaging print - quality control for printed pouches

Colour Consistency in Printed Pouches

Procurement Guide

7 months ago

Colour consistency in flexible packaging is rarely about taste or opinion. In reality, it is a process control issue that sits right at the intersection of materials, printing technology, and…