Stick pack manufacturing
Stick pack manufacturing for supplement powders
Single-serve powder sticks for doses that would otherwise take a handful of tablets: hydration, energy, creatine and drink mixes, filled, sealed and boxed for your brand in our own facility.
What is a stick pack, and when is it the right format?
A stick pack is a narrow, single-serve packet of powder that the customer tears open and pours into water or a drink. It is both a format and a package. Because a powder can be 60 to 80 percent active ingredients and a serving is measured in grams rather than milligrams, a stick pack carries doses that would take several tablets or a handful of gummies: creatine, electrolytes, greens, energy and sleep mixes.
Most of the work is in the powder. A stick has to dissolve or disperse cleanly, taste good in water, flow evenly into each stick and stay dry on the shelf, so flavor, solubility and bulk density are worked out at the bench before anything is filled. We help you choose the serving size, the flavor system and the carton or pouch the sticks ship in.
Last updated October 31, 2026
How to choose a stick pack manufacturer
To choose a stick pack manufacturer, start with the powder. Ask whether they will work out flavor, solubility and bulk density at the bench before filling, because those decide whether the drink tastes right, mixes cleanly and carries the label claim in every stick. Ask how they set fill weight, what stick sizes and films they offer, and how long film and cartons take to arrive, since packaging lead time often sets the launch date. Check that they can carton, pouch and case-pack the sticks, so your product leaves one facility ready to sell. And ask whether a stick pack is even the right format for your dose; a good partner will say when a tablet would do the job just as well. MCM Labs makes stick packs for brands across the United States, from formula and flavor to filled, cartoned sticks.
- Bench work before filling. Flavor, solubility and bulk density settled on the bench, with samples you can mix and taste.
- Accurate fill weight. Fill set from your dose and the measured density of your blend, so every stick carries the label claim.
- Packaging lead time planned. Stick-pack film and cartons ordered while the formula is finalized, not after.
- Pack-out included. Sticks cartoned, pouched and case-packed by the same team.
- Format advice. A straight answer on whether a stick pack, tablet or capsule fits your dose best.
Stick packs we make
Big-dose powders
Creatine, electrolytes, greens and other actives measured in grams per serving.
Hydration and drink mixes
Electrolyte and functional drink mixes that dissolve cleanly in a bottle of water.
Energy and focus
Caffeine or paraxanthine with L-theanine, with the bitterness handled in the flavor system.
Flavor and solubility work
Sweetener systems, acids and flavors balanced so the drink tastes right and mixes without clumping.
Serving size by design
Fill weight set by your dose and the powder's bulk density.
Cartons and pouches
Sticks packed into display cartons, pouches or master cases for retail, subscription or sampling.
How a stick pack project runs
Brief and dose check
Your actives, dose, flavor and channel, and whether a stick pack is the right format for them.
Bench formula and flavor
Flavor, solubility and bulk density worked out on the bench, with samples you can mix and taste.
Film and cartons in parallel
Stick-pack film and cartons have their own lead time, so they are ordered while the formula is finalized.
Fill, seal and pack-out
Sticks filled, sealed, counted into cartons and case-packed. Stick pack projects typically take 1 to 2 months; treat that as an estimate until your proposal.
Questions about stick pack manufacturing
What can go in a stick pack?
Most dry powders: electrolytes, creatine, greens, energy and sleep blends, and drink mixes. The powder needs to flow well enough to fill evenly and should dissolve or disperse in the liquid your customer uses. Very sticky or very fine powders may need reformulating first.
How many grams fit in a stick pack?
How much fits depends on the stick's width and length and how dense the powder is. We set the fill weight from your dose and the measured bulk density of your blend, then choose the stick size to match.
Stick pack or tablet: which should I choose?
If the dose is under about 2 g, a tablet is often the simpler choice. If the dose is several grams, or the product is meant to be a drink, a stick pack usually wins: one stick replaces a handful of tablets and doubles as a sampling and on-the-go format.
Can you work with my existing formula?
Yes. Send the formula and a sample if you have one. Our chemist reviews it for flavor, solubility and fill before anything is quoted, and flags anything that would not run well in a stick.
What is the minimum order for private label stick packs?
Minimums depend on the formula, the stick size and the film, so we set them per proposal. Send a brief with your dose and expected volume and we will quote a starting run.
How long does a custom stick pack take?
Typically 1 to 2 months once the formula is approved, with flavor and solubility work at the start and stick-pack film ordered in parallel. Treat this as an estimate until your proposal.
Related services
Powder manufacturing
Tub and single-serve powders for creatine, electrolytes, greens, energy and drink mixes, built to taste right, mix cleanly and stay dry on the shelf. Blended and packed in our own facility.
Supplement formulation
From an idea to a formula that can actually be made at your dose, in the right format, at a cost that works. We check feasibility before anyone pays for R&D.
Supplement packaging
The right package for your channel, then bottled or pouched, sealed, labeled to your design, case-packed and shipped. Client-supplied or factory-supplied packaging.
Tell us what you're making. We'll come back with a plan.
A short brief is enough: the product idea, the active and dose you have in mind, the channel you're selling into, and the volume you're planning for. We reply within one business day.
info@mcm-labs.com · (702) 728-0966