Custom Printed Protein Powder Pouches for Supplement Brands

Why use a pouch instead of a tub for protein powder?

A 1 kg tub is bulky, costs more to post and takes shelf space in a gym shop. A pouch with the same fill weighs a fraction of that and folds flat as it empties.

The pouch also prints on every panel, so flavour, serving table and ingredients get the space they need. Tubs rely on a wrap label with far less room.

Capsules, pre-workout and greens powders in smaller fills use the same format at a lower size. Those are covered on the supplement pouches for capsules and powders page.

Which brands pack protein in pouches?

Protein pouches are used by brands at every stage, from a first batch mixed under contract to lines sold in national gym chains.

Sample sizes of one or two servings go in a different format. Single serve sachets of 30 g are made as printed sachets for sample servings.

• Whey and casein brands selling direct through their own website
• Vegan pea and rice protein start-ups listed in health shops
• Collagen and bone broth powder brands with a premium look
• Mass gainer and meal replacement lines in 2 kg bulk bags
• Gyms and personal trainers running an own-label protein
• Co-packers filling for several brands on one line

What size pouch holds 1 kg of whey?

Protein powder is light for its volume. 1 kg of whey occupies around 2 litres once it settles, and plant proteins can be fluffier still.

A 200 × 300 mm stand up pouch with a 110 mm gusset holds 1 kg of whey with headspace for the zipper and a scoop. Pea protein at 1 kg may need the next size up.

Serving counts in the table assume a 30 g scoop. Full dimensions by weight are listed in our pouch size guide for UK brands.

Why powder clumps and how the laminate stops it

Protein powder clumps when it pulls moisture from the air. Each time the pouch opens, humid air gets in, and a thin film lets more creep through between uses.

A foil layer is the strongest answer, which is why PET / foil / PE is the standard protein laminate. Metallised PET is lighter and a little cheaper, and suits powders sold within a few months.

Food-contact films are available on request and confirmed on the written quote. What each layer does is set out in the barrier laminates guide.

Zipper width, scoops and the tear notch

A standard zipper is too narrow for a 70 ml scoop. We fit a wider press-to-close zipper on protein pouches so the scoop passes without catching.

The tear notch sits above the zipper. The customer tears off the top strip once, then uses the zipper for the rest of the bag.

A slider zipper is an option on request for 2 kg bags, where customers open the pouch daily. Other zipper styles are compared on the resealable zipper pouches page.

Stand up or flat bottom for 2 kg and above?

Up to 1 kg, a stand up pouch stands well and looks right on a shelf. At 2 kg the rounded base starts to lean, especially once the bag is half used.

A flat bottom bag has a square base and gusseted sides, so a 2 kg or 2.5 kg bag stands square on a kitchen counter. It also gives five print panels. Hospitality buyers who stock a pouch on a café shelf tend to prefer the flat bottom shape at 1 kg too.

The pouches in the photos are stand up styles at around 500 g to 1 kg. For bulk fills, the flat bottom pouches for bulk powders are the better shape.

Printing a supplement pouch that passes a label check

Supplement labelling needs a nutrition table per serving and per 100 g, a full ingredients list, allergens and a storage line. All of that needs room, which is why the back panel is so valuable.

Keep the serving table at a readable size and in a colour that contrasts with the background. Pastel designs like the lilac pouch in the photos need dark text.

Leave a box for the batch code and best before date, filled by stamp or label. The files we need and the margins to keep are in the pouch artwork and dieline guide.

How do you fill powder pouches without dust in the seal?

Powder dust in the seal area is the main cause of leaking protein pouches. A dusted seal looks closed but lets air in.

If your powder is very fine, a stronger foil laminate seals more forgivingly. See the foil stand up pouches for powders.

1. Fold the top 30 mm of the pouch outward before filling, so the seal area faces away from the powder.
2. Fill through a funnel that reaches below the zipper, or use an auger filler set to the fill weight.
3. Tap the pouch on the bench to settle the powder and release trapped air.
4. Drop the scoop in on top if you include one, then unfold the top.
5. Close the zipper, heat seal above it and wipe the outside of the seal.

Mistakes supplement brands make on their first pouch

Ordering a 1 kg pouch sized for whey and filling it with a fluffy plant protein is the usual one. The powder reaches the zipper and the bag will not close.

A narrow standard zipper is the second. The scoop catches, powder spills into the track and the pouch stops sealing within a week.

Glossy film on a 2 kg bag shows scuffs after a few days in a gym bag. Matte or soft touch hides wear. Brands wanting a squarer bulk format should also compare the quad seal bags for 2 kg fills.

Ordering printed protein powder pouches

Tell us the powder, the fill weight, the scoop size and a rough quantity per flavour. Every order is quoted on its own, from £0.25 per unit, and the written quote confirms the price.

You receive a free proof showing the zipper width, the tear notch and the full back panel. Once approved, pouches take 4–6 business days to make.

Delivery is free and tracked to any UK address in 2–3 business days. Pouches that arrive misprinted or damaged are reprinted or refunded when reported within 10 days with photos. The protein pouch quote form takes two minutes.