A pouched product adapted for release of a water-soluble component therefrom is provided herein. The pouched product can include an outer water-permeable pouch defining a cavity; and a composition adapted for oral use situated within the cavity and comprising a water-soluble component; wherein the outer water-permeable pouch comprises a nonwoven web comprising a biodegradable binder, the biodegradable binder comprising one or more aliphatic polyesters.

Paper-based packages and methods of making the same are disclosed. In one example, a semi-rigid package comprises: a base, a first side portion, and a second side portion. The base comprises two opposed major walls and two longitudinal side walls opposed to each other. The first side portion and a second side portion are integrally formed with the base. The two side portions are respectively connected to the base along the longitudinal direction, and each side portion comprises two opposed side panels, two tapered corner portions opposed to each other, and a closure in a transverse direction. Each side panel is connected to the adjacent major wall along a transverse line, and the two opposed side panels are jointed to form the closure. At least one of the side portions may be substantially compacted and form a substantially flat transverse side wall.

Drug packets may be dispensed as a belt of drug packets. Machine-readable identifiers in the belt may be automatically read to identify drug packets and associate the drug packets with the received orders. The drug packets may be automatically inspected to confirm contents of the drug packets against the received orders. The belt may be automatically separated into segments of drug packets. Each of the segments may correspond to a supply period and each of the drug packets within each of the segments may correspond to a drug dose event for the multi-drug regimen within the supply period. The segments of the belt may be automatically accumulated into belt rolls such that, for each of the belt rolls, a first segment end is on an interior of the belt roll and a second segment end is on an exterior of the belt roll.

A bagmaking and packaging apparatus includes a film supply unit that conveys a film, a printing unit, a speed detector, and a control unit. The printing unit applies laser light to the film to print the film. The speed detector acquires data relating to the conveyance speed of the film. The control unit links the operation of the printing unit when printing the film to the conveyance speed of the film based on the data from the speed detector.

A bagmaking and packaging apparatus includes a film supply unit that conveys a film, a printing unit, a speed detector, and a control unit. The printing unit applies laser light to the film to print the film. The speed detector acquires data relating to the conveyance speed of the film. The control unit links the operation of the printing unit when printing the film to the conveyance speed of the film based on the data from the speed detector.

A sealed break-open package having: a wrapping sheet, which is folded and welded onto itself so as to define, alone, a closed containing chamber, which is designed to contain a fluid product and has a dispensing through opening, through which the fluid product can flow out of the containing chamber; and a closing system, which engages the dispensing opening in a sealing manner, so as to close the dispensing opening. The closing system having a semi-rigid plastic material sheet, which overlaps the wrapping sheet in the area of the dispensing opening, is firmly and permanently connected to the wrapping sheet, and has a pre-weakened region, which overlaps the dispensing opening and guides, following a folding of the semi-rigid plastic material sheet, a controlled breaking of the semi-rigid plastic material sheet in the area of the pre-weakened region, so as to determine the formation, through the semi-rigid plastic material sheet, of a product outlet opening.

A sealed break-open package having: a wrapping sheet, which is folded and welded onto itself so as to define, alone, a closed containing chamber, which is designed to contain a fluid product and has a dispensing through opening, through which the fluid product can flow out of the containing chamber; and a closing system, which engages the dispensing opening in a sealing manner, so as to close the dispensing opening. The closing system having a semi-rigid plastic material sheet, which overlaps the wrapping sheet in the area of the dispensing opening, is firmly and permanently connected to the wrapping sheet, and has a pre-weakened region, which overlaps the dispensing opening and guides, following a folding of the semi-rigid plastic material sheet, a controlled breaking of the semi-rigid plastic material sheet in the area of the pre-weakened region, so as to determine the formation, through the semi-rigid plastic material sheet, of a product outlet opening.

A flexible, stackable container for storing a quantity of a product may include a sealed package formed from a single sheet of film and retaining the quantity of the product disposed therein, and a lid fitment attached to a first side of the package. The first side of the package may have an outer first surface of the film and outwardly extending first corner seals formed in the film at the edges of the first side and surrounding the first side of the package. The package may also have a second side disposed opposite the first side and outwardly extending second corner seals formed in the film at the edges of the second side and surrounding the second side of the package.

A flexible, stackable container for storing a quantity of a product may include a sealed package formed from a single sheet of film and retaining the quantity of the product disposed therein, and a lid fitment attached to a first side of the package. The first side of the package may have an outer first surface of the film and outwardly extending first corner seals formed in the film at the edges of the first side and surrounding the first side of the package. The package may also have a second side disposed opposite the first side and outwardly extending second corner seals formed in the film at the edges of the second side and surrounding the second side of the package.

A first film can be conveyed through a horizontal form-fill-seal machine that contains tooling stations in which bottom sealer bars are positioned in different tooling stations relative to side sealer bars. The first film can be processed by the machine to form a first pouch. After the first pouch is formed, a vertical height of one or more of the side sealer bars and/or one or more of the bottom sealer bars can be selectively adjusted. The same bottom and side sealer bars remain in the machine during the selective adjusting of the vertical height. After the selective adjusting of the vertical height of the component, a second film can be conveyed through the horizontal form-fill-seal machine. The second film can be processed by the machine to form a second pouch having at least one dimension that is different than the first pouch.