How Single Lip Bags Protect Pet Food Freshness and Enhance Palatability

What are Single Lip Bags for pet food, and what makes them unique?

Madalina: Single Lip Bags are Amcor’s pre-made, recycle-ready packaging solution designed for dry pet food and treats. Their unique shape means they stand-up easily on shelves, offering product appeal in the store and convenience at home for pet owners. This is thanks to their distinct gusseted structure with two side seals.

What truly sets these bags apart is their great air-tightness. Carefully selected materials and precision sealing help prevent oxygen ingress, which is one of the biggest threats to pet food freshness. This airtight design protects products from oxidation and ensures flavor and aroma retention.

How does air-tightness influence palatability for the pets?

Madalina: Palatability is the appeal of the food’s smell, taste, and texture to the animal. This is a critical driver of both initial and repeat purchases. Pets, especially dogs and cats, have a far more acute sense of smell than humans and can easily detect even slight changes in aroma or flavor.

That’s why packaging performance directly affects palatability. Exposure to air and moisture can lead to oxidation of fats and proteins, which quickly alters the product’s smell and taste profile. Even very small amounts of oxygen can diminish aroma and flavor, making food less attractive to our pets.

Amcor’s Single Lip Bags are engineered to maintain product integrity from the filling line to the food bowl. The high-barrier laminate structure, and exceptional airtight sealing, minimize oxygen transmission and moisture penetration, helping to preserve volatile flavor compounds and natural aromas. This ensures that when the bag is opened — whether days or months after being packed — the food inside smells and tastes exactly as intended.

For pet owners, this means fewer feeding frustrations. For manufacturers, it means maintaining brand trust and reducing the risk of product rejection due to poor sensory performance.

What convenience features do these bags offer?

Madalina: Single Lip Bags are designed with both pets and their people in mind. Features include:
• Easy-open options: Controlled tear openings make accessing the food simple.
• Reclosable systems: Help maintain freshness after opening.
• Handles: Zip handles or pouch handles make carrying and pouring more convenient.
• Top zips in different shapes: Adaptable to customer preferences and product types.

Are these bags suitable for e-commerce?

Madalina: Absolutely. With 42% of e-commerce buyers reporting receiving damaged goods, packaging durability is essential for online retailers.

Our sturdy Single Lip Bags are engineered to be drop-resistant, built to withstand the bumps, knocks, and vibrations of the entire e-commerce delivery process—from warehouse handling to doorstep arrival.

At Amcor’s dedicated E-commerce Lab, we rigorously test these bags under real-world conditions. With ISTA 6A certification available through Amcor, you have verified assurance that your packaging can protect your products throughout the supply chain, reduce returns, preserve quality, and enhance the customer experience.

How do Single Lip Bags support brands' sustainability and circularity goals?

Madalina: According to an Amcor study of European pet owners, 75% of them say on-pack sustainability credentials positively influence their purchasing decisions, and this figure rises even higher among younger consumers. The 18–34 age group is particularly vocal about choosing products with more sustainable packaging, often checking for recyclability information or materials with reduced environmental impact before buying.

Amcor’s Single Lip Bags are recycle-ready and certified for recyclability by cyclos-HTP in existing collection and sorting systems.

To further reduce the carbon footprint of packaging, our Single Lip Bags can be produced with post-consumer recycled (PCR) content using Amcor’s Amfiniti™ recycled material.

How does Amcor ensure consistent quality and performance?

Madalina: Every stage of production is tightly monitored under BRC-certified hygiene and quality standards. Amcor performs extensive laboratory testing on both the laminate and finished bags, including mechanical, barrier, and sealing tests.

Quality checks cover everything from laser scoring and reclosing systems to easy-open functionality and handle strength. The use of high-precision instruments ensures consistency and safety compliance for each customer’s specific application.