Clear Bag Guide

Clear Bag Choices

Bags are one of the staples of the gourmet food and confectionery industries. Bags are an economical choice for showcasing anything from candies to granolas. With the widest selection of food-safe bags both made in the USA and imported from France, you can trust that our exclusive designs will help your product stand out as well as stay fresh.

To maximize shelf life and ensure your customers consistently enjoy fresh and delicious treats, it is important to select quality packaging materials with barrier properties appropriate for the protection requirements of your specific product, whether it is susceptible to moisture, oxygen, odor, light, or all of the above.

Cellophane (Item numbers beginning with CBAG)

  • Made in the USA
  • Heat-sealable cellophane requires a high-heat constant heat sealer; the most secure seal available
  • Cellophane is a wood by product, making it biodegradable and recyclable
  • Preferred for its crisp texture
  • Best oxygen and odor protection, moderate moisture barrier
  • 1.0 mil cellophane bags have a crimped fold-over seal

Common uses: hard or soft candies, chocolates, and potpourri mixes

100% Compostable Cellophane (Item numbers beginning with NF)

  • Compostable cellophane bags are made from a cellulose product derived from wood, causing nearly zero environmental impact!
  • The material is certified biodegradable and compostable
  • Excellent oxygen and aroma barriers, moderate moisture barrier
  • 1.2 mil compostable cellophane bags have a crimped fold-over seal

Common uses: chocolates, hard candies, natural products and superfoods, or granola

Economy Polypropylene (Item numbers beginning with PP)

  • Soft, durable polypropylene is resistant to tears, rips, and wrinkling
  • Airtight when sealed
  • Polypropylene can be sealed with a low-heat impulse sealer; which creates a single thin-line seal
  • Polypropylene is a manmade, recyclable material
  • 1.5 mil polypropylene bags are sealed at the bottom with an impulse seal

Common uses: non-food applications and food products where a barrier property is not necessary

Cello Style “OPP” (Item numbers beginning with BOPP)

  • BOPP material is impermeable, resistant to humidity, and has a crisp feel like cellophane
  • BOPP should be sealed using a low-heat impulse sealer
  • Manmade and recyclable material
  • Moisture, oxygen and odor barriers
  • 1.3 mil BOPP bags have a crimped fold-over seal

Common uses: hard candies, crackers, dry cookies, snack mix, nuts, and stationery goods

Still not sure if all this fuss about barrier properties applies to you? Here is a short list of products (generally) requiring protection for optimal freshness and shelf life:

Baked Goods

Degraded by loss of humidity; water retention can also cause a loss of crispiness, so perforated films are used for crusty products. We recommend our Cello Style “OPP” Bags.

Chocolate Confectionery

Can be degraded by: moisture/humidity, which causes "bloom"; odor, often coming from low quality inks or the use of recycled board; insects, if poorly sealed; and light/oxygen, which causes rancidity. We recommend our Cellophane & 100% Compostable Cellophane Bags.

Sugar Confectionery

When uncrystallized, products tend to absorb water; when crystallized, they tend to lose moisture. We recommend our Cello Style “OPP” Bags.

Chips & Snacks

Degrade through rancidity, which necessitates a barrier to oxygen and light; and loss of crispiness, which is solved by providing a moisture barrier. We recommend our Cello Style “OPP” Bags.

Final Things to Consider When Selecting a Bag

  • Allow enough room for sealing or closing the bag with a twist tie, ribbon or other closure
  • For the overall filled height of the bag – take the length minus half of the gusset Example a bag of 8” length and 2” gusset has a filled height of 7”
  • Make sure that the bag selected has the right moisture, oxygen and odor barriers for your product
  • If you have questions on sizing or bag selection, contact us. We are here to help!