What Packaging Systems Provide the Best Protection for Loads in the Pet Food Sector?

What are the most widely used packaging solutions in the animal feed industry? How can you guarantee maximum protection, hygiene and safety for Pet Food loads? The animal feed industry works with a type of product that requires superior protection to preserve its quality, freshness and hygiene as much as possible.

The variety of load formats, the need to prevent product contamination, and the high logistical demands affecting all industries mean that having a highly efficient and competitive end-of-line solution is essential for the Pet Food sector.

In this article, we will analyse the specific packaging needs of the animal feed industry and the solutions offered by Innova Group to address them.

Packaging needs and requirements in the Pet Food sector

Before explaining which packaging systems work best to protect loads in this sector, it is important to understand the logistical challenges it faces.

• Total protection and maximum hygiene: One of the key objectives of packaging is to protect the product against dust, moisture and temperature variations, preventing contamination or degradation.

• Load securing during logistics operations: The sector uses different load formats, and whether dealing with bags or stacked cardboard boxes, having an end-of-line system that guarantees perfect stability and securing is essential to prevent product losses and damage during transport or storage.

• Presentation and brand image: An impeccable, wrinkle-free finish enhances brand image and makes labels and traceability codes easier to read. The aim is to achieve a clean, high-quality finish that enhances brand visibility.

• Adaptability to different formats: The Pet Food sector combines different types of loads, from bags of various sizes to palletised boxes. Companies need versatile systems capable of handling different formats.

• Sustainability and plastic reduction: Pressure to minimise environmental impact requires solutions that reduce consumable consumption and use recyclable films or films containing significant percentages of recycled material.

End-of-line solutions for the animal feed industry

Depending on the load format, as well as its protection and securing requirements, there are different end-of-line alternatives. As packaging technology specialists, at Innova we analyse which systems best meet the demands of the sector.

1. Automatic Stretch Wrapping Systems

Automatic stretch wrappers are one of the most widely used systems in the sector due to their great versatility. They are particularly common for Pet Food bag loads, providing uniform securing that adapts perfectly to the volume and shape of the load thanks to stretch film.

It is also important to note that Innova’s automatic stretch wrappers, both the rotary arm wrapper and ring wrapper, can incorporate accessories to improve load protection and securing.

• Reinforcement cord system: Provides stability similar to strapping, increasing load stability and safety.

• Top cover system: Protects the top of the load and prevents dust, moisture or other external agents from damaging the product.

• Corner protector applicator (for Pet Food boxes): A highly useful system for protecting the corners of boxes and making the load more uniform and compact.

2. Automatic Strapping Systems

When animal feed loads consist of palletised boxes, automatic strapping systems are highly useful for consolidating the block of boxes before any wrapping or hooding process, preventing the material from shifting laterally during the various logistics operations.

There are two types of strapping: horizontal and vertical:

• Horizontal Strapping: Essential for compacting rows of Pet Food boxes into a homogeneous block. Innova’s horizontal strapping machines can incorporate a corner protector applicator to achieve a higher degree of compacting and protect the corners from the application and pressure of the strap.

• Vertical Strapping: Provides a higher degree of stability by securing the boxes directly to the pallet base. This system can also incorporate corner protectors and includes a 90° turning system, allowing the pallet to be strapped on all sides.

3. Stretch Hood System

Stretch Hood is the packaging solution that best meets the high protection requirements of the animal feed sector. This system applies tubular film that perfectly adapts to the contours of the pallet, providing an airtight seal on all five sides that guarantees maximum stability, safety and hygiene for the product.

But why choose Stretch Hood technology? These are its main advantages:

• Total protection for animal feed: Stretch Hood is the only system that provides complete protection and waterproofing. The hood adapts to the contours of the load, sealing it hermetically and creating a protective barrier against external agents. This is a vital advantage for animal feed, where it is essential to preserve product freshness while minimising the risk of damage and ensuring it reaches the end consumer in optimal conditions.

• Hygiene and minimal handling during hooding: Another key advantage of the Stretch Hood system is that it is applied with minimal contact and handling of the load, which is essential in the animal feed industry, where hygiene and contamination prevention are priorities. Innova’s Stretch Hood machine also features protective systems and barriers available as accessories to provide even greater hygiene during the hooding process.

• Adaptable to different load formats: Stretch Hood adapts to any pallet size or format. This is particularly important in the Pet Food sector, where a wide variety of weights, bag formats and other types of packaging, such as boxes, are used.

• Brand image and impeccable finish: The quality of the hooding process and full transparency ensure that logos and product details remain clearly visible and protected from production through to the point of sale. This transparency also provides greater readability and traceability of food control codes. With Stretch Hood, Pet Food companies achieve an attractive and distinctive presentation, generating consumer confidence and strengthening brand recognition.

In conclusion, guaranteeing maximum protection, hygiene and safety for loads is a key priority in the Pet Food industry. At Innova, we offer a wide range of packaging systems capable of meeting the sector’s needs. From Innova Group, we can advise you on the choice of your end-of-line solution. Contact us and tell us about your requirements, both in terms of protection and installation, and we will design the line that best suits your animal feed production plant.