The popcorn market has been improving and growing over the years and this can be attributed to the fact that popcorn is viewed as a movie snack. The culture of associating popcorn with cinemas, theater, carnivores, etc, has promoted its rise amidst other snacks. Additionally, its raw material is readily available and also affordable. Popcorn offers a business opportunity to many entrepreneurs but it comes with its challenges too. 

Some of these challenges include competition from other snack types and enhancing packaging quality & efficiency. Although these challenges may present business owners with an uphill task, they are manageable. So, how do you improve your popcorn packaging efficiency? Here is an overview.

Popcorn Packaging Material

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Primarily, popcorns can be packaged in flexible materials or cans/jars. These materials have different features and benefits that can help you decide which one to go for. Below is how to package popcorn for sale.

Flexible Packaging

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A flexible packaging solution is any packaging material whose shape can be easily altered. The most common examples are bags, pouches, carded packaging, tubes, films, etc. They are made with paper or plastic materials. Plastic materials are most preferred, especially for long-term use. The types of plastics are low-density polyethylene(LDPE), high-density polyethylene(HDPE), and polypropylene(PP). 

More manufacturers are embracing flexible packaging due to the following reasons;

• Lightweight: flexible packaging is very light; this makes transportation easy and cheaper.
• Convenience: the packaging has many things to offer like zippers, taps, spouts, etc. 
• Modifiable: it is customizable depending on your brand and preferences.
• Economical: flexible packaging is cheaply acquired, saving money for both manufacturers and consumers.

Can/Jar Packaging 

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Can is also a popular packaging solution for food packaging and utilizes the can sealer machine. Cans and jars are made from a variety of materials like glass, paper, and metal. These materials contribute to the effectiveness of food storage in cans. In terms of metal, tins and aluminum are the favorites and occasionally, tin-coated steel is utilized. Steel is the stronger metal but is corrosive, hence coating with tin is necessary. 

Cans have the following features and benefits that make them a suitable snack food packaging material. 

• Durability: the metal used in the manufacturing of cans makes them very strong, able to withstand any harsh environmental condition over time. The food packaged in cans will retain its quality.
• Customizable: it is possible to customize cans to be more attractive to customers. Customization comes in design, size, shape, etc. 
• Lightweight: although cans are commonly made of metals, they are very light. The metal is constructed with thin films to ensure the packaging is not too heavy. Lightweightedness saves the cost of transportation and labor.
• Eco-friendly: metal cans are recyclable, reducing waste production.

Popcorn Packaging Machine

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Popcorn packaging machines can either be can packaging lines or premade pouch packaging machines. You can source packaging machines based on the packaging containers of your products.

Can Packaging Line

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Canning machines in a can packaging line consist of filling machines, sealing, labeling, coding, etc. These machines work hand in hand to facilitate popcorn packaging. Filling machines are the first to operate by filling the cans with the required amount of popcorn then sending the cans to the sealing machine. Sealing/seaming is a fundamental step in packaging as this will determine the lifespan of your products. The sealing machine has various components including chambers where oxygen is displaced by nitrogen. 

Nitrogen promotes the longevity of the preserved snacks. This process is referred to as nitrogen flush packaging. The sealing machine chambers are a vacuum room where oxygen is removed from the can and a sealing chamber, where nitrogen is introduced then the can is sealed. After sealing is done, the can then goes to the labeling and coding machine, and the appropriate labels are branded on the can. 

Canning machines can either be semi-automatic or automatic machines. Semi-auto machines are operated manually and by the machine. Some processes need manual adjustment for the machine to operate well. Automatic machines are fully automated and are very effective. The operator only sets the machine via the PLC system and the machine delivers a filled, sealed, labeled, and coded can.

Premade Pouch Packaging Lines

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A premade pouch packaging line has the following components;

• Weigher: to measure the correct amount of product to be filled.
• Filling machine: this machine fills the bags with the product. It opens the pouch and its hopper dispenses the products.
• Sealing machine: this machine seals the pouches tightly.
• Coding machine: attaches codes to the packaging.
• PLC system: it is the control system of the whole operation. 

The premade pouch packaging line works by picking premade pouches and fills them with the products, then passes them to the consequent process. This machine is different from a form-fill-seal machine in that it only deals with ready-made bags. It works faster than the form-fill machine since the latter requires time to form the pouches before filling them with products.

How Can a Popcorn Packaging Line Benefit Your Business

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If you are thinking of starting a popcorn business or you already own a popcorn business, then you need a packaging line. Packaging lines have several benefits to your business that will promote your ROI. Some of these benefits are;

• Packaging lines greatly improve production speed, saving you both money and time.
• There is a reduction in the cost of labor since the machines are doing most of the work.
• Popcorn packing machines promote quality packaging that will be long-lasting.
• When using popcorn packaging machines, there is a reduced injury risk in the workplace.
• There is minimal wastage when using popcorn packaging lines saving you money while promoting eco-friendly solutions.
• You can easily modify and customize your packaging to represent your brand and lure more consumers to your products.

How to Choose the Right Popcorn Packaging Machine for Your Production

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It is essential to consider some aspects when choosing popcorn packaging machines. The right machine will promote your business and relieve unnecessary stress. Consider the following;

• Popcorn packing machine price: choose a machine that is within your budget. If your business is on a large scale, then consider the quality more than the cost because, in the long run, you will save more by investing in a good quality packaging line.
• Popcorn packing machine quality: quality is usually a valued aspect of any product. Not every supplier will provide you with a quality machine. Do your due diligence and ensure you work with a trusted supplier. 
• Technical services: before placing your order on any machine, assess the services of your supplier to know what you are paying for. Also, inspect the machine’s capabilities to be sure of what you are buying. 

Conclusion 

The best way of improving your popcorn packaging efficiency is through the utilization of popcorn packaging lines. These machines help a great deal in ensuring that the snack is well packaged for the consumers. Get your can packaging lines from Levapack, a China-based company with capabilities of supplying canning lines anywhere in the world. We provide quality machines that will benefit your business. Click here to get in touch with our team of experts to answer any questions you may have.