Snack Co-Packing in Canada: Chips & Granola

Snacks are one of the most common categories for new Canadian food brands, and one of the most competitive on the shelf. COPACK Canada co-packs chips, popcorn, granola, and dried fruit and nuts, and sources the pouches and films that keep them fresh.

Snacks we co-pack

Chips

Perfectly packed crispy snacks with quality checks at every stage of the process.

Popcorn

From gourmet flavors to classic options, we ensure freshness and premium presentation.

Granola

Flexible options for granola bars, cereals, and bulk packaging.

Dried fruit & nuts

Packed in barrier pouches that preserve freshness and protect against moisture, oxygen, and light.

Each project can include packaging sourcing, labeling, quality checks, warehousing and freight. You choose whether to supply ingredients and packaging yourself or have us source them.

What makes snack co-packing different

Most dry snacks are low in moisture, so the main threats to quality are staling, rancidity and breakage rather than microbial spoilage. Fats in nuts, seeds, fried chips and popcorn oxidize when exposed to oxygen and light, producing stale or off flavours long before the product is unsafe. That puts packaging at the centre of your shelf-life plan.

Snacks are also light and bulky, so fill weight and bag size need care: a bag that looks half empty invites complaints, while overfilling crushes product. When you talk to any co-packer, ask how fill weight is controlled and how fragile pieces are handled through the line.

Protein bars in colourful printed flow-wrap packaging — Bars and granola formats often run on printed roll stock film.

Choosing a pouch format for your snack

These are the flexible formats we source, with the snacks they typically suit:

Format	What it does	Typical snacks
Stand up pouch	Maintains freshness and enhances shelf appeal with a durable, self-standing design	Granola, nuts, dried fruit, premium popcorn
Lay flat pouch	Preserves freshness and protects against moisture, oxygen, and light	Single servings, samples, trail mix packs
Quad seal bag	Four-corner seal bag for heavier products with added stability	Larger snack and granola formats
Roll stock & films	High-barrier films designed for automated packaging	Chips, bars, high-volume runs

The film structure matters as much as the format. Multi-layer, high-barrier films limit oxygen, moisture and light; ask for the barrier specification of each option, not just the finish. Our packaging formats guide goes deeper, and the article keeping snacks fresh: barrier films, nitrogen flushing and allergen changeovers covers shelf-life planning.

Want your brand printed on the bag? Custom printed pouches are available through our partner Lion Packaging, which specializes in custom printed packaging.

Allergens and labelling for snacks

Allergen management is the biggest regulatory risk in snack production. Health Canada’s priority allergens include peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, soy, milk, eggs, wheat and triticale, mustard, fish, crustaceans and molluscs, and sulphites, and granola, trail mix and seasoned chips often contain several. The CFIA expects priority allergens, gluten sources and added sulphites to be declared, plus a precautionary “may contain” statement where cross-contamination is possible.

Front-of-package rules matter too. Since January 1, 2026, prepackaged foods that meet or exceed Health Canada’s thresholds for saturated fat, sugars or sodium must carry the “High in” symbol. Salted chips, sweetened granola and coated snacks are likely candidates, so check your Nutrition Facts values before you order printed film, since film usually has long lead times and minimums.

The core label elements still apply: a common name and metric net quantity on the principal display panel, a bilingual ingredient list, name and principal place of business, a Nutrition Facts table, and a best-before date when durable life is 90 days or less. We assist with label compliance as part of our service.

Getting started with snack co-packing

Describe your snack in the quote form: product type, the packaging you want, certificates required, sourcing needs and volume.
Consultation. We work through your product requirements, target audience, and packaging needs.
Packaging and production plan. We confirm the format, film and run size.
Production, quality assurance and delivery. Every batch is inspected, then shipped with our freight and shipping services.

Comparing partners? Use our guide to choosing a co-packer in Canada as a checklist.

Questions to settle before your first snack run

Can the line handle my piece size without excessive breakage?
Is nitrogen flushing available if my product is high in fat, and how is residual oxygen checked?
Which allergens are present in the facility, and how are changeovers cleaned and verified?
Will you source ingredients and film, or should I supply them?
What is the minimum run for my format, and what is the film minimum?
How does price change at higher volumes?
Can finished goods be warehoused and shipped to my distributors?

Getting clear answers up front avoids the most common first-run surprises: printed film that arrives with the wrong nutrition values, bags that look under-filled on shelf, and allergen statements that don’t match the facility. For pricing questions, read co-packing costs and MOQs.

Snack co-packing FAQ

Which snacks do you co-pack?

Chips, popcorn, granola (bars, cereals and bulk), and dried fruit and nuts. Powder mixes and other dry foods can be included in a quote too.

Which pouch formats can I choose from?

We source lay flat pouches, stand up pouches, quad seal bags and roll stock films, and the quote form also lists 3-side sealed bags and child-resistant packaging. See packaging for details.

Can you source ingredients and packaging for my snack?

Yes, both are options. Tell us in the quote request whether you’d like us to source ingredients, packaging, or both.

Is there a minimum order quantity for snacks?

Minimums vary depending on product type and packaging format, and printed film often has its own minimum. We quote each project individually; see co-packing costs and MOQs.

Snack Co-Packing in Canada

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