Pet Treat Packaging Safety

Decorative paper with dyes — those cute printed tissue papers and colored shreds can leach dyes onto moist treats. If the color rubs off on your fingers when you handle it, it will absolutely rub off on the treats. Stick to white or natural tissue if it will touch food.

Ribbon, twine, and small decorations — these are choking hazards. Dogs will eat the packaging. If a decoration is small enough to swallow, leave it off. This includes stickers that peel easily, small bows, and decorative buttons or charms.

Non-food-grade printed bags — some custom-printed bags use inks that are not food safe. The ink looks great on the outside, but it can migrate through thin bag material or transfer when bags are stacked. Always ask your printer if the ink is food-contact compliant before placing an order.

Hot-melt glues with plasticizers — some adhesives contain chemicals that can migrate into food, especially into treats with higher fat content. Use food-safe adhesives or, better yet, heat sealing instead of glue.

Recycled cardboard (direct contact) — recycled paper can contain traces of inks, chemicals, and other contaminants from its previous life. It is perfectly fine as an outer shipping box, but do not let recycled cardboard touch treats directly. Always put a food-safe inner bag between the treat and the box.

PVC and polystyrene — avoid these for direct food contact. PVC (recycling code #3) can leach harmful chemicals, especially with fatty foods like most pet treats. Polystyrene (styrofoam) has the same problem. Neither belongs anywhere near food.

Heat sealing is the gold standard. An impulse heat sealer costs $30 to $80 and creates an airtight seal in seconds. This is what most professional pet treat bakers use. Get one with adjustable temperature — too hot and you will melt through thin bags, too cool and the seal will not hold. Practice on a few empty bags first to dial in the right setting for your packaging material.

Zip-lock bags are fine for farmers markets and short shelf-life treats that will be eaten within a week or two. They are not airtight enough for treats that need to last months, and the seal can be accidentally opened during shipping. A good starting point for beginners — upgrade to heat seal when you scale up.

Vacuum sealing removes air and extends shelf life significantly. It is great for jerky-style treats and dehydrated products where air exposure accelerates staleness. Overkill for most baked treats, but worth considering if you are shipping long distances or selling treats with a longer intended shelf life.

Tamper-evident seals — shrink bands, safety seals, or tamper-evident bags. Some states require tamper-evident packaging for commercially sold pet food. Even if your state does not, customers trust sealed packages more than unsealed ones. A heat-shrink band around your bag costs about $0.05 each and looks professional. It tells the customer nobody has opened this package since you sealed it.

Temperature matters — if your treats contain any moisture (which most baked treats do), ship in insulated mailers during hot months. Treats that sit in a hot delivery truck for 8 hours can grow mold before they reach the customer. During summer, consider upgrading to expedited shipping or including an ice pack.

Moisture barrier — double-bag if shipping. Inner bag sealed (heat sealed ideally), outer bag or box for protection. Moisture is the number one enemy of shelf life. A single puncture in your packaging can let in enough humidity to ruin a batch.

Void fill — use crinkle paper, tissue paper (food-grade if touching treats), or air pillows to fill empty space. Do NOT use packing peanuts — they look like treats and dogs will eat them. This is not a hypothetical risk; it happens regularly.

Box sizing — use the smallest box that fits your order. Too much room means your treats bounce around and break during transit. Nobody wants to open a package and find a bag of crumbs. A snug fit protects your product and reduces shipping costs.

Include a do-not-eat silica packet in each bag for extra moisture protection. Make sure it is clearly labeled and visible. Some bakers tape the silica packet to the inside of the bag above the treats so it cannot be mistaken for a treat or fall into the bag unnoticed.

Shipping soft or semi-moist treats — these MUST ship cold. Use insulated mailers with gel ice packs. Some bakers only ship semi-moist treats from October through April to avoid spoilage. If you want to ship year-round, budget for insulated packaging and expedited shipping on every order.