A contract packager, or copacker, is a company that packages products for their clients. The

packaging and labeling Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a co ...

services can be used for many types of products including foods, pharmaceuticals, household products, and industrial products.

Functions of contract packaging

There can be a variety of reasons for using contract packaging. * A contract packager may have specialized equipment and expertise needed for a particular packaging operation. * A contract packager carries the capital costs of packaging machinery and the personnel costs of packaging line workers * A manufacturer can focus on its core competencies and outsource packaging to a contract packager * There may be a temporary need for additional capacity: surge projects * Contract packagers often can be more flexible than a large corporation to schedule urgently needed production. * A test market, promotion, or product modification may need a limited packaging run to produce products for evaluation * Primary packages can be sent to a contract packager for assembling

Multi-pack A multi-pack also known as multipack is packaging that combines or holds multiple items or smaller packages. Functions Multi-packs can be used to: * Combine several items for a larger unit of sale, often with a reduced individual cost * Provide ...

s or a

Point of sale display A point-of-sale display (POS display) is a specialised form of sales promotion that is found near, on, or next to a checkout counter (the "point of sale"). They are intended to draw the customers' attention to products, which may be new products ...

* Some large retailers or

Warehouse club A warehouse club (or wholesale club) is a retail store, usually selling a wide variety of merchandise, in which customers may buy large, wholesale quantities of the store's products, which makes these clubs attractive to both bargain hunters ...

s demand special package sizes or printing. * Bulk products can be sent to a contract packager for making

Private label A private label, also called a private brand or private-label brand, is a brand owned by a company, offered by that company alongside and competing with brands from other businesses. A private-label brand is almost always offered exclusively by th ...

products and packages. *

Clinical trial Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel vaccines, drugs, dietar ...

s of

medical device A medical device is any device intended to be used for medical purposes. Significant potential for hazards are inherent when using a device for medical purposes and thus medical devices must be proved safe and effective with reasonable assura ...

s or

Pharmaceutical drug A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...

s often need a limited packaging operation for preparation of trial material

Industries served

Contract packagers can serve an array of industries. Below are some of the most common industries served, and the products that may be packaged: * Beauty and cosmetics — Soap, hair shampoos and conditioners, makeup, lotions, and oils * Medical — Bandages and surgical adhesives, alcohol prep pads, medications, liquid concentrates, antibacterial sprays, medical devices * Private label industries * Nutrition — Sports supplements, vitamins, protein powders * Food — Cookies, produce, crackers, pastas, grains, muffins, chocolate, candies, trail mix * Pharmaceutical — Generic drugs, orphan drugs, unit dose devices, over-the-counter (OTC) medications * Dental — Toothpastes, toothache and cold sore relief gels, fluoride, dental devices *Adhesives- Tubes and other containers for a variety of adhesives *Beverages- Bottles, cans, and cartons of beverages * Point of sale display - Items can be assembled for special end-of-aisle (

endcap In retail marketing, an endcap or end cap is a display for a product placed at the end of an aisle. It is perceived to give a brand a competitive advantage. It is often available for lease to a manufacturer in a retail environment. Products pla ...

) or

point of purchase The point of sale (POS) or point of purchase (POP) is the time and place at which a retail transaction is completed. At the point of sale, the merchant calculates the amount owed by the customer, indicates that amount, may prepare an invoice f ...

displays * Industrial products - requiring special package forms

Relationships

The details of the relationship between the manufacturer, brand owner, and contract packager can vary. Some contract packagers perform limited operations, with all materials provided by the primary manufacturer. Product engineers are sometimes present to observe and supervise packaging operations. Other contract packaging firms are active in the package design process, provide purchasing services for materials and components, and provide shipping and logistics operations. A

Contract manufacturer A contract manufacturer (CM) is a manufacturer that contracts with a firm for components or products (in which case it is a turnkey supplier). It is a form of outsourcing. A contract manufacturer performing packaging operations is called copacker ...

can also be a contract packager. If not a separate contract packager can be employed by the contract manufacturer.

Contract packaging equipment

Contract packaging companies make use of a range of different machines, typically utilized on automated lines for faster production and turnaround times. Automated

bottling line Bottling lines are production lines that fill a product, generally a beverage, into bottles on a large scale. Many prepared foods are also bottled, such as sauces, syrups, marinades, oils and vinegars. Beer bottling process Packaging of bottle ...

s may be used for containing liquids such as water, soft drinks, beer, and wine, and are capable of filling bottles at a rate of 30,000 bottles per hour. Auger filling machines can be used for packaging dry products including powders, seeds, vitamins, and other small items. Other complex machines exist in the contract packaging industry, such as the vertical form fill sealing machine. This machine produces plastics bags from a roll of film while simultaneously filling the bags with liquid or solid products. Contract packagers may utilize different pieces of equipment to achieve the desired product packaging, whether the items need to be

shrink wrap Shrink may refer to: Common meanings *Miniaturization *Shrink, a slang term for: ** a psychiatrist ** a psychoanalyst ** a psychologist Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Shrink'' (album), album by German indie rock/electronica group The Notwist ...

ped, or contained in

blister pack A blister pack is any of several types of pre-formed plastic packaging used for small consumer goods, foods, and for pharmaceuticals. The primary component of a blister pack is a cavity or pocket made from a formable web, usually a thermoforme ...

s, clamshells, sealed food trays, stand-up pouches, bottles or cartons.

References

* Yam, K.L., "Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology", John Wiley & Sons, 2009, *Soroka, W, Illustrated Glossary of Packaging Terminology Institute of Packaging Professionals

* “Choosing and Using a Co-Packer”, University of Arkansas, 2009, Research Report 985,

External links