Shift to stand-up: Why stand-up pouches are claiming more shelf space
From NASA to the U.S. border patrol, government departments across the country have adopted stand-up pouches as an option for quick, convenient snacking. At a consumer level, the format is increasingly being chosen for a range of processed produce due to its ability to keep items fresh — and protected — for longer.
Headquartered in McAllen, Texas, Fox Packaging is one of the many packaging companies experiencing success with stand-up pouches. Fox’s digital marketing coordinator, Aileen Hernandez, said a strong fit with modern lifestyles is a major reason behind the trend, with shoppers appreciating resealable, portable packaging.
For produce packers and retailers, Hernandez said stand-up pouches provide enhanced visibility with a larger front-facing surface that accommodates branding, product details and certifications.
“This format not only captures shopper attention but also supports marketing strategies, particularly for organic commodities that require clear USDA certification labeling,” she said. “Beyond presentation, the pouch offers practical advantages, including customizable features such as zippers and clear windows, along with strong barrier protection that helps extend shelf life.”
APPEALING OPTION
Hernandez said recent stand-up trends include a growing emphasis on smaller, portion-controlled packs that fit snacking and on-the-go lifestyles. Processors are also adopting eco-friendly materials, resealable features and clear windows to align with consumer demand for transparency and sustainability, she said.
Andrew Tice, president of Safeguard Brands (dba PackFreshUSA), based in Ontario, Canada, believes stand-up pouches are taking over store shelves due to a combination of merchandising, unit economics and product protection.
“Stand-up pouches offer billboard-grade front panels with photo-quality printing and excellent product visibility,” he said. “For retail, they have a smaller footprint on shelves and have the flexibility of pegboard merchandising with a consistent facing, which helps sell-through.”
Tice said the format can lower secondary packaging and cube better than rigid while requiring less warehouse space and reducing transport weight. For direct-to-consumer and foodservice, Tice said pouches also offer portion protection and less water than clamshells.
“Smaller cottage food operations can buy small quantities in the hundreds and apply their own labels,” he said. “No expensive machinery is required to heat seal and professionally package homemade products.”
Headquartered in Istanbul, Korozo Group provides flexible packaging and film products to 75 countries worldwide. The company’s stand-up pouch market manager, Can Ertekin, describes the format as “an extremely efficient, lightweight and highly effective way to package processed produce.”
Ertekin said a specific driver for the growing use of stand-up pouches for packing produce is the booming market for frozen foods — a segment he said is experiencing significant global growth, driven by changing consumer preferences for health, convenience and value, as well as external factors like inflation and busy lifestyles.
Ertekin said the market surge is also supported by technological advancements in freezing and cold chain logistics as well as expanding availability through both traditional retail and e-commerce platforms.
“Stand-up pouches are perfect for this market as they can withstand cold supply chains and are suitable for sub-zero environments for extended periods,” he said. “They are flexible while being strong and robust, so they minimize product damage throughout the supply chain.”
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
Stand-up pouches also have less plastic than clamshells or trays, reduce packaging waste and promote recyclable and circular packaging choices, Ertekin said. This equates, he said, to lower material costs compared to rigid packaging as well as more efficient distribution due to the compact shape and reduced weight of flexible stand-up pouches. Additionally, Ertekin said the pouches maximize shelf-life, ensuring less food goes to waste.
Hernandez at Fox Packaging agrees.
“Compared to rigid containers, they’re lighter, which lowers transportation costs and emissions,” she said. “They also use less material per package, supporting waste reduction goals.”
The stand-up shift, Hernandez said, is also shaped by the different needs of conventional and organic programs. Unlike conventional produce, which can be packed in simple poly or combo bags to offer cost-efficiency and functional presentation, organic products must meet strict USDA certification standards.
Given that organic items are typically more perishable than conventional because of the absence of preservatives, Hernandez said the strong barrier properties of stand-up pouches play an important role in preserving freshness while helping maintain labeling integrity and prevent cross-contamination.
“For consumers, resealable closures help keep produce fresh longer and make storage easier, reducing food waste at home,” she said.
Located in Chicago, Elevate Packaging specializes in recycled, compostable and recycle-friendly packaging, including stand-up pouches. Manufactured using 100% certified-compostable films, laminates, zippers and one-way valves, the company’s freezer-safe pouches provide strength, along with an oxygen and moisture barrier, said president and founder Rich Cohen.
“We try to make it easy for customers to choose packaging that meets all of their need, and at the end of its life can be collected and composted,” he said.
With the U.S. lacking a mature plastic recycling infrastructure — only 5% of plastic in the country gets recycled, according to Cohen — options such as those produced by Elevate which use bio-based materials can offer a viable alternative means of disposing of food packaging waste.
Cohen said each pouch features “two or three different components, each certified compostable.” These include starch, resins and a barrier layer of wood cellulose pulp from certified forests.
ONGOING INNOVATIONS
PackFreshUSA supplies food-grade stand-up pouches optimized for long shelf life, with a focus on washed/ trimmed vegetables, snack-ready fruit, salad components and meal-kit ingredients. The company’s clients include major U.S. corporations, government agencies and thousands of small cottage food operations.
“Our line of stand-up pouches is made with outstanding barrier film that makes it particularly used for long shelf life when packaging dried fruit, freeze-dried products, granola and other shelf stable SKUs,” Tice said.
Options include all-clear, vista and metallized films with zippers, tear-notches and hang-holes. Heat-sealable, PackFresh’s pouches can be combined with oxygen absorbers to prevent oxidation and contamination from bugs, mold and other oxygen-dependent organisms.
Tice said the company’s pouches, which use polyethylene barrier films, offer superior product protection, while extremely low moisture and oxygen transmission rates keep food fresh for long periods of time.
Fox Packaging’s stand-up pouch line offers a blend of functionality, sustainability and consumer appeal, Hernandez said. The pouches feature a flat bottom for stable display, resealable closures to reduce waste and product handling, and poly front and back panels for dual-sided branding.
The company also markets the Fox Stand Up Combo, a variation which includes a breathable mesh back for commodities such as apples, limes or peppers that benefit more from airflow and visibility.
For all products, Hernandez said Fox is committed to sustainability with 100% PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)-free materials, instead using recyclable films with features like light-blocking films and clear display windows.
Korozo, which is seeing particular demand for pouches from the dried fruit and nut industry, offers gusseted, flatbottomed and hermetically sealed pack structures that feature Euro holes, rounded corners, spouts, easy-tear perforation and reclosable zippers for ease-of-use.
“Our in-house extrusion capabilities allow us to engineer films and packaging structures that are perfectly suited to the needs of the product to be packed, such as oxygen and water vapor transmission rates,” Ertekin said. “We can also integrate UV light barriers to provide enhanced protection against spoilage.”
He said Korozo also continues to develop stand-up pouches with the future in mind. For example, its MDO-PE (machine direction oriented polyethylene) pouches made using proprietary laminating film are designed to be recycled within existing PE recycling streams.
Beyond fresh-cut, Tice foresees a range of applications for stand-up pouches, including partially cooked vegetables, spiralized items, seasoned steam-ready packs, smoothie kits, dehydrated or freeze-dried snacks and blended salad toppers. In foodservice, he believes the format is ideal for mise-en-place portions and back-of-house prep.
“Stand-up pouches have already proven themselves in fresh produce, and their potential extends well into value-added categories such as snack packs, trail mixes, dried fruits, meal kits and ready-to-eat items,” Hernandez said.
She emphasized that material selection is critical: “Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is flexible and forgiving, making it well-suited for hand-packing and small-scale or artisanal operations,” she said. “Its softness and sealability add adaptability, but under high-speed automation, LDPE can stretch or wrinkle, which may slow throughput.”
On the other hand, Hernandez said polypropylene (PP) excels in automated environments, where rigidity and form retention improve consistency, reduce jams and support higher production speeds.
While both materials are recyclable, she notes that their sustainability profiles differ.
“LDPE is often favored for its lighter footprint and lower energy use, making it a good fit for closed-loop recycling strategies and lightweight retail goals,” she said. “PP, though more energy-intensive to produce, is gaining traction in circular systems that emphasize reusability and refill models, making it a strong candidate for emerging durable packaging solutions.”
Ertekin sees huge potential for stand-up pouches in packaging processed produce, saying that they offer versatility to brands and convenience to consumers as well as strong sustainability credentials.
“Developments that improve the mechanical performance of stand-up pouches and make them more circular increase the application space further,” he said. “They make stand-up pouches the preeminent choice for brands and consumers in today’s world where convenience and sustainability are priorities.”
