01
Direct contact needs food-grade substrates
If the product touches the packaging, the board, coating and ink all have to be rated for food contact. Standard commercial inks are not. This is specified at quote stage, not corrected later.
Industry
Packaging for Food & Beverage Brands
Food packaging carries a compliance burden no other category matches, and the substrate itself has to be safe for direct or indirect contact. That constrains material and ink choices before design begins.
Food & Beverage
The food & beverage packaging problem
02
Nutrition panels are non-negotiable space
FDA Nutrition Facts formatting is prescriptive on layout, type size and rules. Like Supplement Facts, it cannot be compressed to fit a design, so the dieline has to accommodate it from the start.
03
Shelf life depends on barrier
Moisture and oxygen ingress set the expiry date. A pouch with the wrong barrier film will halve stated shelf life, which is a recall risk rather than a quality complaint.
Recommended formats
What we build for food & beverage brands
In priority order, based on what most brands in this category end up running.
- Folding CartonsFirst choice
Folding Cartons
The retail standard. Thin, printable, and built for shelf.
From $0.45/unit - Stand-Up PouchesOption 2
Stand-Up Pouches
Lightest format, lowest cost, least wasted space.
From $0.35/unit - Kraft PackagingOption 3
Kraft Packaging
Unbleached, uncoated, and honest about it.
From $0.65/unit
Requirements worth checking
Not legal advice, but these are the things that most often send a job back to artwork in this category.
FDA 21 CFR 175/176 governs food-contact substrates and coatings
Nutrition Facts formatting is set by 21 CFR 101.9
The nine major allergens must be declared under FASTER Act rules
State compostability claim laws restrict unqualified use of the term
Other industries
Packaging for food & beverage brands
Tell us about your product and volume. We will recommend a format, flag the compliance requirements that apply, and send firm pricing within one business day.
- 50-unit minimums
- Free 3D mockups
- 14-day production
- No design fees