On a snack line the bag is printed by the film supplier and filled by the bagger. What is left for us is the code on the bag, the code or label on the case, and the label on the pallet.
This page is for the commercial snack plant, including chips, popcorn, nuts and trail mix, that needs snack food case coding and labeling. The retail bag is usually preprinted film, so the work is the variable data: date, lot, case contents and pallet identity. We do not sell baggers, weighers, seasoning systems or fillers, which dominate snack packaging searches. We sell the coding, labeling and pallet labeling stations after them.
Want your case and pallet end of the line looked at? Book an equipment audit and we start with your case and your rate.
What does a snack line need coded and labeled?
A snack line needs a date and lot code on the bag, a code or label on each case, and a label on the pallet. The bag code is often printed inside the bagger, while the case and pallet are separate stations at the end of the line.
The bag. Printed film with a date and lot added in line. Thermal transfer overprinters sit inside the packaging machine and print on the film; thermal inkjet marks a pack after it. The Altech price list carries thermal transfer coders and hot foil units, which we can supply.
The case. A corrugated shipper with a date and lot code and often a case label for the buyer.
The pallet. A finished pallet label where the buyer requires one.
How does snack food case coding work?
Code the case with a thermal inkjet printer mounted over the case conveyor, using water based ink on uncoated corrugate, and add a print and apply label where the case needs a scannable barcode. A coder is cheaper per case; a label is safer when a barcode must scan.
Our coding and marking page covers the Marapack thermal inkjet range, the MPT inks and how to choose between water based and solvent ink for your case. Coated or waxed cases may need solvent ink, and we test on your case before recommending anything. Print and apply prints a variable label per case and applies it as the case passes.
Which equipment fits which snack job?
Use a thermal inkjet coder for case date and lot, a print and apply head for case barcodes, a labeling head for retail packs that need a label, and a pallet labeler at the end of the line. Altech's ALstep and ALritma heads and ALcode print and apply cover these jobs.
- Case barcodes and variable labels. The Altech ALcode family prints and applies a label per case. The ALcode print and apply page covers the heavy duty version, and the economical version is the ALcode LT.
- Retail pack labels. Tubs, tins and cartons that carry a label rather than printed film take a labeling head from our label applicator range.
- Pallets. Pallet labeling systems label a built pallet.
- Service. The labeling machines already on your line can be kept running through labeler repair and service.
What do we not sell for snack plants?
We do not sell baggers, form fill seal machines, weighers, seasoning drums, nitrogen flush systems, case packers or wrappers. A snack plant's packaging machinery comes from those suppliers. We sell the labeling and coding equipment around it, and we service Altech, Label-Aire, PackLeader, CTM and Tach-It machines.
We also do not sell continuous inkjet or laser marking. Where a plant already runs those on the bag, we do not replace them on this page's say-so; we look at what your case and pallet need.
What do retailers and regulators expect of a snack case?
Walmart's food traceability page asks food suppliers for case barcodes such as GS1-128 and an SSCC-18 barcode on pallets. FDA's Food Traceability List includes nut butters, so check the list for what you make, because it changes and we give no regulatory advice.
Walmart's food traceability requirements say cases containing food must carry barcodes that can transmit traceability data, such as GS1-128; pallets an SSCC-18 barcode linked to the ASN, and suppliers share lot or batch and date codes. Other buyers set their own rules, so ask for the written specification.
FDA's Food Traceability List includes nut butters of all types and fresh-cut fruits. Check the list for each product you make, because lists change and we do not give regulatory advice.
Should a snack plant buy a case coder or a print and apply system?
Buy a case coder if the only variable data is a date and lot. Buy print and apply if a buyer needs a scannable case barcode, or if the case surface will not take ink. Many plants end up with both, one per station.
Ask three questions. Does a buyer require a barcode on the case? Is the corrugate uncoated, or waxed and coated? Do you need the same code on every case, or data that changes by product? Printed codes on a plain case are cheap and reliable. A label costs more, and where a symbol has to scan at a receiving dock, it is the safer choice. Request a line assessment and we tell you which, including when a coder is enough.
Frequently asked questions
Do you sell snack food packaging equipment? We sell the case coding, labeling and pallet labeling equipment, not baggers, weighers or fillers. Buy those from a packaging machinery supplier, and bring us the finished case.
What is the best case coder for a snack plant? The one matched to your case surface, your rate and whether a barcode must scan. A thermal inkjet coder fits plain corrugate; a print and apply head fits a case that needs a label. We ask for a case before naming a machine.
Can you code a bag of chips? A date and lot code on the bag is usually printed inside the bagger by a thermal transfer coder. We can supply thermal transfer coders and hot foil units through the Altech price list, and thermal inkjet for coding after the bag.
Do popcorn and nut plants need anything different? The jobs are the same: bag code, case code, pallet label. Nut butters are on FDA's list, so those plants should check it, and every plant should check the current list for its own products.
Do I need a GS1-128 label on my cases? Only if a buyer requires it. Walmart states it for food suppliers. Our case label guide explains the format.
How much does case coding equipment cost? It depends on the number of stations, the technology and the handling around them. We quote after we see the case and the line.
Can you service a labeler we already own? Yes, on the brands we service. We stock parts for Altech, PackLeader, some Label-Aire and Tach-It.
Bring us a case
Send a finished case, the code or label you need and the line rate, and we tell you which stations the end of your line needs. Call 253-709-5566, or request an equipment audit.