Packaging line comparison
Tray, Skin, Thermoform, Flow-Wrap or Bag: Which Pack Format Fits Your Line?
A buyer-side comparison of five pack formats for seafood and greenhouse produce, with a calculator that turns your own quotes into a cost per pack.
Short answer
Choose the pack format from the product and the market first, then compare cost per pack. Tray sealing with modified atmosphere suits retail fresh fish and cut produce; vacuum skin gives the longest presentation life for premium fillets; thermoforming suits high volumes of one size; flow-wrap is fast for whole produce; weigher-fed bags suit frozen shrimp and loose vegetables. Cost per pack is material plus labour plus energy — use your supplier quotes in the calculator below.
Five pack formats side by side
| Format | Typical products | Protection | Speed and flexibility | Main cost driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tray sealing (MAP) | Fresh fillets, shrimp, cut salad, tomatoes | Gas mix slows spoilage; good shelf presence | Medium speed; quick tray changeovers | Pre-made trays, lidding film and gas |
| Vacuum skin (VSP) | Premium fish portions, smoked fish | Film hugs product; no drip; long display life | Lower speed; premium positioning | Skin film and top-grade trays |
| Thermoform vacuum/MAP | Large runs of one portion size | Strong seal; vacuum or gas | High speed; slower format change | Roll-stock film; tooling per size |
| Flow-wrap | Cucumbers, peppers, herbs, tray overwrap | Basic barrier; perforated options for breathing produce | Very high speed; easy size changes | Film only — lowest material per pack |
| Bag / pouch with multihead weigher | Frozen shrimp, IQF fish, cherry tomatoes, leafy mix | Depends on film; zip and MAP options | High speed; weigher sets accuracy | Film plus weigher giveaway |
Cost per pack calculator
Enter figures from your own quotes and site. The calculator splits each pack into material, labour and energy.
Material
$0.1400
Labour
$0.0125
Energy
$0.0007
Total per pack
$0.1533
$153.25 per 1,000 packs
Example defaults only — replace them with your quotes. Excludes depreciation, maintenance, giveaway and waste.
How to use the comparison
- Start with the market: retail chill shelf, food service, export frozen or wholesale.
- Shortlist two formats from the table that suit the product and the required shelf life.
- Ask suppliers for material price per pack, rated speed and staffing for both formats.
- Run both through the calculator and compare cost per 1,000 packs, not machine price alone.
- Send the shortlist as an RFQ so the project team can review it before any supplier introduction.
Questions buyers ask
Which format has the lowest cost per pack?
Flow-wrap usually has the lowest material cost because it uses film only, but it offers less protection. The right answer depends on your product, speed and labour cost — compare your own quotes in the calculator.
Is vacuum skin worth the higher material cost?
For premium fish portions sold on a retail shelf, a longer display life and no drip can reduce markdowns. For frozen or wholesale products it is rarely needed.
Does a faster line always lower cost per pack?
Only if the line runs at that speed with fewer people. Labour and energy are divided by packs per hour, so real speed matters more than rated speed.
What project size does Global B2B Group handle?
Projects from USD 250,000. Every request is reviewed by the project team before any supplier is introduced.
Compare quotes for your packaging line
Send the formats and volumes you are considering. The project team reviews every request before introducing suppliers. Minimum project size USD 250,000.
General buyer information, not engineering advice. Figures in the calculator are your inputs; Global B2B Group is not a manufacturer and does not quote prices.