Tea packaging glossary

Plain definitions of the terms you will meet when ordering tea inner packaging, each with its French and Chinese equivalent.

Products

tea inner packaging: FR emballage intérieur pour thé 中文茶叶内包装; The bag or wrapper that holds the tea inside its outer box and shields it from moisture, oxygen and light.
aluminium foil laminated bag: FR sachet complexe aluminium 中文铝箔复合袋; A bag made from a multilayer film that includes a layer of aluminium foil, which blocks moisture, oxygen and light.
foil-laminated paper: FR papier complexé aluminium 中文铝箔纸 / 复合纸; Paper bonded to a layer of aluminium foil, used to line boxes or to wrap tea rather than to make a sealed pouch.
paper bag: FR sachet papier 中文纯纸袋; A bag made from paper alone, with no foil or plastic layer, so its barrier against moisture and oxygen is limited.
roll stock / packaging film roll: FR bobine / film en bobine 中文卷膜 / 卷材; Packaging film wound on a core into a roll, which an automatic packing machine unwinds and forms into bags around the tea.
flexible packaging: FR emballage souple 中文软包装; Packaging made from flexible materials such as plastic film, aluminium foil and paper, in the form of bags, pouches and rolls.

laminated film: FR film complexe 中文复合膜; A film made by bonding two or more layers of different materials, for example PET, aluminium foil and polyethylene, to combine their properties.
metallized film: FR film métallisé 中文镀铝膜; A plastic film with a very thin layer of aluminium deposited on its surface in a vacuum; its barrier is better than plain film but lower than aluminium foil.
barrier (moisture / oxygen): FR barrière (humidité / oxygène) 中文阻隔性（防潮、防氧化）; How well a packaging material keeps moisture and oxygen, and often light, away from the tea; a higher barrier slows the loss of aroma and colour.

three-side seal: FR soudure 3 côtés 中文三边封; A flat bag made of two layers of film sealed along three edges; the fourth edge stays open for filling and is sealed afterwards.
back seal / centre seal: FR soudure dorsale 中文背封; The vertical seam down the back of a bag formed from roll stock, where the two edges of the film are joined to make a tube.
gusseted bag: FR sachet à soufflets 中文风琴边袋; A bag with folds (gussets) in its sides or base, so that it opens out to hold more volume and stands more steadily when filled.
web width: FR laize 中文卷膜宽度; The width of the film on a roll; it has to match the packing machine and, together with the cut-off length, sets the bag size.
core: FR mandrin 中文纸管芯; The cardboard tube on which the film is wound; its inner diameter has to fit the unwind shaft of the packing machine.

gravure printing: FR impression héliogravure 中文凹版印刷; A printing method in which the design is engraved into a metal cylinder that transfers the ink to the film; the cylinders are costly to make, so it is used mainly for long runs.

MOQ: FR quantité minimale de commande 中文起订量; Minimum order quantity: the quantity below which a supplier will not accept an order.
sample: FR échantillon 中文打样; A trial piece of the packaging, made before the full order so that the buyer can check the size, the seal and the print.
lead time: FR délai de livraison 中文交期; The time from the agreed starting point of an order, such as the approval of a sample or of the artwork, until the goods are delivered.
request a quote: FR demande de devis 中文询价; A message in which a buyer describes the product, size and quantity needed and asks a supplier for a price.
documents against payment (D/P): FR remise documentaire contre paiement (D/P) 中文付款交单（D/P）; A payment method in which the banks hand the shipping documents to the buyer only against payment, and the buyer needs those documents to collect the goods.
letter of credit (L/C): FR crédit documentaire 中文信用证; A written promise by the buyer's bank to pay the seller once the seller presents the documents that the credit asks for.

declaration of compliance (DoC): FR déclaration de conformité (contact alimentaire) 中文食品接触合格声明; A written statement by the manufacturer that a material meant for food contact meets the applicable rules for its intended use, backed by test reports.
migration test: FR essai de migration 中文迁移测试; A laboratory test that measures how much of the substances in a packaging material passes into a food or a food simulant, to check that it stays within legal limits.