Overview & Specifications
What Are Food Safe Mylar Bags?
Food safe Mylar bags are flexible pouches whose food-contact components are selected for the intended food and conditions of use. Food-contact suitability is one part of the package specification; barrier performance, seal integrity, filling conditions and shelf-life requirements are evaluated separately.
They are the general food-packaging page within the Mylar Bags range. Product-specific options are covered under Custom Coffee Bags, Custom Candy Bags and Tea Bag Pouches.
What it has to do
What Food Needs from Its Packaging
Food packaging has to be safe in contact with the food, protect it from what spoils it, seal reliably on the packing line and carry the required labeling. These are separate requirements, and a pouch that meets one does not automatically meet the others.
01
Materials
Materials Suitable for Contact with the Food
Films, sealant layers, inks, adhesives and closures are selected according to their applicable regulatory status and the food-contact conditions of the project. Supporting documentation can be provided where applicable to the selected material.02
Barrier
Barrier Matched to the Food
Moisture, oxygen, aroma, light and grease requirements vary by food. The complete laminate is developed around the product's sensitivities rather than assuming that one food-contact film provides the same protection for every application.03
Seals
Seals That Fit the Filling Process
Pouch format, sealant layer, dimensions and closure are matched to the filling method, sealing equipment, storage conditions and distribution process.04
Storage
Storage and Processing Limits
Food-contact suitability alone does not establish hot-fill, frozen, retort or shelf-life performance. Those conditions need a structure developed and validated for them.05
Room
Room for Required Labeling
Ingredients, allergens, nutrition information and net quantity need space on the pack. Panel layout reserves room for them before brand graphics are finalized.
What Makes a Mylar Bag Food Safe?
A Mylar bag is food safe when each component that can contact the food is suitable for that food and its conditions of use, such as temperature, contact time and fat or acid content. In the U.S., food-contact substances are regulated by the FDA, mainly under 21 CFR Parts 174 to 178; the finished pouch is not given a blanket "FDA approved" status.
01
U.S. (FDA)
components are selected under the applicable regulations, for example 21 CFR 177.1520 for olefin polymer sealant layers, 177.1630 for PET films, 175.105 for adhesives and 175.300 for certain coatings, or under a food-contact notification where one applies.
02
EU
requirements can include Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 for plastics and bisphenol requirements under Regulation (EU) 2024/3190.
03
Documentation
applicable declarations, supplier documentation and test reports can be sourced or provided for qualifying materials and configurations, with documentation matched to the intended market and conditions of use during specification.
04
Food safe vs food grade
the terms are used interchangeably in the market. What matters is the actual material specification and the intended conditions of use.
Which Pouch Format Fits Your Food?
Stand Up, Flat Bottom, 3 Side Seal, Spout and Back Seal pouches can all be built with food-contact materials. Choose by the food's form and how it is filled and used: Stand Up for resealable retail, Flat Bottom for larger packs, 3 Side Seal for portions, Spout for pourable foods and Back Seal for snacks on automated lines.
| Format | Best for in food | Decision factor |
|---|---|---|
| Stand Up Pouch | Snacks, nuts, dried fruit, powders | Resealable retail format with upright display |
| Flat Bottom Bag | Larger dry foods, grains, coffee | Stable base and five panels for nutrition and branding |
| 3 Side Seal Pouch | Single portions, spices, samples | Flat format for small fills |
| Spout Pouch | Sauces, purées, drinks | Pourable and reclosable through a fitment |
| Back Seal Bag | Chips, snacks, bulk dry foods | Pillow-style bag for form-fill-seal lines |
Mylar Bags for Long-Term Food Storage
High-barrier foil or metallized pouches are commonly used for long-term storage of sufficiently dry foods such as dry grains, rice and beans. When oxygen absorbers are appropriate, they are sized to the sealed package volume and used with a reliable heat seal. Suitability still depends on the food's moisture content and storage conditions.
| Point | What to know |
|---|---|
| Suitable foods | Dry grains, rice, beans and other sufficiently dry foods |
| Oxygen absorbers | Used for appropriate dry foods to reduce residual oxygen after sealing; absorber capacity matched to package volume and contents |
| Not suitable for | Moist foods unless processed and validated for that storage method |
| Barrier film | Metallized PET or interior aluminum foil for light and moisture protection |
| Shelf life | No universal figure; depends on the food, moisture, barrier, seal and storage temperature |
For printed storage bags made for a brand or emergency-food range, Packaging Dock develops the size, barrier and closure around the food and the absorber used.
Food Safe Mylar Bag Specifications
Food safe Mylar bags are specified around the intended food-contact conditions, pouch format, barrier needs, filling method and storage environment.
| Specification | Available Configuration |
|---|---|
| Product Type | Food Safe Mylar Bag |
| Category | Mylar Bags |
| Compatible Formats | Stand Up Pouch, Flat Bottom Bag, 3 Side Seal Pouch, Spout Pouch, Back Seal Bag |
| Custom Dimensions | Developed according to selected pouch format and fill requirements |
| Materials | PET Film, Clear PET Film, Metallized PET Film, Holographic PET Film, Kraft Paper Laminate |
| Food-Contact Specification | Components selected for the intended food and conditions of use, with supporting documentation where applicable |
| Barrier Configuration | Selected separately around moisture, oxygen, aroma, light and grease requirements |
| Closure / Features | Zippers, tear notches, hang holes, windows or spout fitments according to the selected pouch format and application |
| Print Methods | Digital, Flexographic, Rotogravure |
| Print Coverage | According to selected pouch format |
| Print Colors | Full-color CMYK and Pantone spot colors |
| Coating / Lamination | Gloss, Matte, Soft-Touch, Interior Aluminum Foil where compatible |
| Finishes | Foil Stamping, Spot UV, Raised 3D UV, Clear Window |
| Starting Price | From $1.25 / unit; final price depends on format, size, film, features, printing and quantity |
| Minimum Order | 500 units |
| Standard Production | 7 days from approved proof after material, format and finish are confirmed |
| Rush Production | Available on request |
| Shipping | USA and worldwide |
What Size Food Safe Mylar Bag Do I Need?
Size depends on the food's weight, density and piece size, the format and the headspace needed for sealing. The same weight of rice and puffed snacks needs very different bags, so size is planned by volume as well as weight.
Density: dense foods like rice or sugar fill a small bag; airy snacks need several times the volume for the same weight.
Format: Stand Up and Flat Bottom are sized by width, height and gusset; 3 Side Seal and Back Seal mainly by width and length.
Headspace and seal area: leave room above the fill for the zipper and the final seal; absorbers and spouts also take space.
Important: These factors make a single size list misleading. For weight-based reference sizes, see the Stand Up Pouch and Flat Bottom Bag size guides, which include rice, coffee and snack comparisons. A trial fill is recommended before the production dieline is approved.
