Back Seal Bags

The Pillow Pack Format

Back seal bags are what you get from flow wrap and VFFS machinery - a seam running down the back, sealed top and bottom, product visible through the front. It’s the format you see in every supermarket chilled aisle for fresh produce, and across ambient shelving for snacks and confectionery.

We supply them as pre-formed bags with the bottom sealed and top open, ready for filling on your line or even by hand in the field. If you’re running form-fill-seal equipment and need rollstock film instead, see our flow wrap film page.

The construction gives you a clean front face for retail presentation - no side seals to interrupt your branding, and stronger sides because there’s no weld to create a weak point. We manufacture back seal bags here in the UK for produce packers, food manufacturers, and industrial operations who need the format with reliable supply and sensible lead times.

Fresh Produce

Walk down any supermarket chilled aisle and you’ll see back seal bags everywhere. Tenderstem broccoli, green beans, peas, mangetout, salad mixes, stir fry vegetables - products that need careful handling to make it from packhouse to consumer in good condition.

Fresh produce keeps respiring after harvest, and getting the atmosphere inside the bag right is critical to shelf life. Too little gas exchange and the product suffocates. Too much and it dries out. We offer hot needle perforation from P1 through to P360, either as strip perforation in specific zones or full coverage across the bag. For produce packers who’ve been doing this for years, you’ll know exactly what your product needs. For those still dialling it in, we can help you find the right specification.

Presentation matters just as much as shelf life. Your customers make buying decisions in seconds, and they’re not picking up a bag they can’t see into. Anti-mist BOPP keeps products visible in chilled cabinets - crisp and appetising rather than hidden behind condensation. For products needing tighter atmospheric control, we supply PVDC barrier coated films and laminates for modified atmosphere packaging.

Food, Snacks, and Industrial

The pillow pack format works for far more than fresh produce. Biscuits, chocolate, sweets, nuts, crisps, popcorn - confectionery and snacks that need protecting from moisture and air while presenting well on shelf. Barrier properties keep products fresh and crisp through distribution and retail.

It’s also the format of choice for hardware and industrial parts. Nuts, bolts, screws, washers, small components - products that need containing, protecting, and presenting clearly. The sealed construction keeps parts together and dust out, while the clear front face lets customers see exactly what they’re buying.

For bulkier products or items that need to stand upright on shelf, see our side gusseted bags - the same back seal construction with added depth from side gussets.

Lap Seal or Fin Seal

Two ways to make the back seam, and which one you need depends on your film.

Some materials seal on both sides - the inner surface bonds to itself whichever way you bring the edges together. For these, lap seal makes sense: the film edges overlap and seal flat against each other.

Other materials only seal on one side - typically where a sealant layer has been applied to the inner surface only. For these, fin seal is required: the edges are brought together inner-face to inner-face, creating a fin that stands up from the bag.

We manufacture both. Which one depends on your film specification.

Materials

BOPP (polypropylene) is our standard - excellent clarity for product visibility, good tensile strength, and a surface that takes print well. For most retail applications, this is where we start.

Anti-mist BOPP prevents condensation obscuring products in chilled display. The same clarity and print quality, with surface treatment that stops fogging.

PVDC barrier coated BOPP adds oxygen and moisture barrier properties for extended shelf life, without moving to a full laminate structure.

Laminates for applications needing serious barrier performance - multiple layers, each doing a specific job to keep moisture, oxygen, or light away from sensitive products.

CPP offers better puncture resistance and performs well in cold environments where BOPP becomes brittle. Worth considering for heavier products or chilled distribution.

LDPE is softer and more flexible, conforming to irregular shapes. Suits some applications better than the stiffer polypropylene films.

Biodegradable BOPP performs like standard BOPP during use, but is both recyclable through existing streams and biodegradable if it escapes into the environment. Not a choice between the two.

30% PCR BOPP available for operations needing to meet PPT compliance or sustainability targets.

For compostable requirements, we also offer PLA and NatureFlex.

UK Supply, Sorted Documentation

We convert here in the UK, which means 3-4 week lead times rather than months waiting for containers. For fresh produce packers supplying supermarkets on tight schedules, that predictability matters.

We’re a family-owned converter with four decades in flexible packaging, BRCGS AA(*) accredited with full batch traceability. Food contact compliance certificates, specification sheets, PPT documentation - delivered when you need it, not after repeated chasing.

Custom printing up to 10 colours for retail presentation.