Cookies are a fairly consistent product. Even if bakers are making a variety of flavors, the cookies are often similar in size, which makes packaging a variety of them easier. But the challenges are numerous as they can be fragile to handle, and equipment must be easy to use, adaptable and fit in the space available. Moreover, the pressure to switch to more sustainable packaging can pose problems for horizontal form/fill/seal equipment. 

“One of the primary challenges in cookie packaging is preventing product damage,” said Brad Baker, senior sales director, North America, Syntegon. “Cookies are delicate and prone to breakage, which is why mechanical stress throughout the packaging process can result in significant product loss. Gentle handling solutions minimize mechanical stress through controlled movements and help to maintain cookie integrity and reduce waste.”

And as tastes change, so too does the need to adjust products to meet consumers’ needs.

“One of the biggest challenges in the packaging of biscuits is the particularly fast-moving market environment, which is changing dynamically,” said Bärbel Beyhl, marketing manager, Gerhard Schubert GmbH. “Not only the production of baked goods, but also the packaging must be able to adapt quickly due to consumer demand for more variety. In addition, consumers are calling for more sustainability in the packaging process.”

She added that staff shortages require creative solutions.

“There is a noticeable lack of trained specialists in the baked goods industry,” Beyhl said. “The automation of previously manual processes, which are still particularly prevalent in packaging, is therefore all the more urgent.”

Because cookies can be prone to breakage, there are a few things manufacturers can do to ensure they stay intact. The first steps are verifying that production line specs are under control and conveyors and conveyor transfers are not causing problems, said Josh Becker, bakery and confections segment manager, Harpak-Ulma. 

“Consider a packaging machine that is gentle and designed for the cookies being packaged,” he said. “A well-designed and controlled packaging line infeed can handle cookies at high rates of speed without breaking them. Broken cookies can cause inefficiencies in the packaging line, so use vision inspection to remove those cookies from the line so more cookies are not broken during machine jams or other issues or line stoppages.” 

Scott Williams, Northwest sales manager, BluePrint Automation (BPA), also suggested using intentionally designed end-of-arm tools (EOAT) to protect cookies during the process.

“BPA designs all EOAT for their application,” he said. “Use sturdy packaging materials and consider adding cushioning inside the package. Dividers or individual compartments can help keep cookies from moving around and breaking.”

Packaging cookies in a variety of sizes and shapes can create more problems for bakers, said Dennis Gunnell, president, Formost Fuji.

“A lot of times people want to run a lot of different things, a lot of different flavors. It can be a challenge,” he said. “Many of the bakers are trying to run more product through fewer machines, and it does create a challenge when something goes wrong. If you’ve got a jam, a film breakage, it can create quite a challenge to get back up and going.”

Packaging operations are often squeezed into small spaces, which means bringing in new equipment can be challenging, said Bill Kehrli, vice president of sales and marketing, Cavanna Packaging.

“How do you do more in less space?” he asked. “Our Twin Slim solution helps support higher speed lines, helps reduce space. Inflation has skyrocketed as we all know, and bakers are now looking at smaller pack sizes again. What that does is increase speeds and decrease cookie counts in a tray. … It’s getting to a point now where speeds are being pushed and pushed because of the smaller count sizes.”

Hygiene is always a major concern for any food manufacturer, especially in the past few years, said Sebastian Clemens, director of sales, North America, SACMI Packaging & Chocolate.

“There has been a lot more focus on that in the last couple of years, more than ever before,” he said. “Depending on what you run, if you run an allergen or if you run a sandwich cookie with a crème filling, you have a lot of cleaning in those items.”

That’s why equipment manufacturers are designing equipment that is easier to disassemble and clean.

“We as a machine builder have put a lot of effort into the mechanical design of the machine,” Clemens said. “For one, we have everything toolless. We’ve minimized parts in the machine and focus on the design. It’s a very hygienic design driven to cantilever everything on the machine as that makes it very accessible and visible for operators, so they see if there’s a buildup somewhere so they can clean it.”

Of course, the main job of packaging is to protect the product and keep cookies fresh for as long as possible. An automated solution that offers airtight packaging and can provide resealable packaging is the ideal solution, said Mark Evangelista, director of sales, Plan It Packaging.

Williams also mentioned the importance of maintaining the quality of the product.

“Use packaging equipment that provides a high overall equipment effectiveness to ensure your cookies are packaged quickly and efficiently,” he said. “Use airtight packaging materials that provide a strong barrier against moisture and air. Additionally, including desiccant packets can absorb any residual moisture.”

This article is an excerpt from the November 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Cookie Packaging, click here.