How to show at a glance that a package hasn’t been opened — the tamper-evident features Sealstrip builds into flexible packaging across food, pharma, and more.

Tamper evidence is about trust: a shopper, a clinician, or a regulator needs to see instantly that a package hasn’t been opened since it left the plant. In flexible packaging, that proof comes from a feature that can’t be undone once it’s been used. Here’s how tamper evidence works in flexible packaging, and which Sealstrip features deliver it.

What “tamper-evident” actually means

A tamper-evident feature makes first-opening visible and irreversible. It doesn’t have to make a package impossible to open — it has to make opening obvious. Once a tear tape is pulled or a tamper strip is broken, it can’t be reset to look untouched, so anyone can tell at a glance whether the package is intact. That’s different from tamper-resistant, which is about making a package harder to open; tamper evidence is about the visual signal.

Tamper evidence and easy-open, together

The most efficient tamper-evident features double as the easy-open. The same tear tape that gives a clean first open is also the tamper signal — intact means untouched, torn or missing means opened. You get both functions from one feature and one applicator, which means fewer separate parts and a simpler package (a bonus if you’re watching source-reduction and EPR rules).

Sealstrip’s tamper-evident features

• Teartape — a hermetic, color-coded easy-open tear for overwrap; ideal for medical devices and pre-filled syringes, where the tear is also the tamper signal
• Peelwrap — a wide grip-and-pull over a perforation for shrink and non-shrink film; removing the film shows first-open
• Shrinktape — a pull-tab in shrink film, common on medical devices and OTC pharmaceuticals
• FreshPak— combines easy open, reseal, and a tamper-evident feature in one
• SealAcross with TamperTear — forms a tamper-evident, easy-open, resealable feature in the direction of film flow, from end seal to end seal

Where tamper evidence matters most

It’s essential in pharma and medical devices, where patient safety, misuse prevention, and regulatory expectations all apply. It matters in OTC health and personal care, in food (for both freshness and consumer trust), and increasingly in e-commerce, where a package changes hands more times before it reaches the buyer. With Teartape, color-coding adds quick product or dose identification on top of the tamper signal.

Materials and compliance

Sealstrip’s tamper-evident materials are FDA compliant and made in the USA in a facility certified under the GFSI-recognized IFS PACsecure standard, with a recycle-ready, mono-material VerdeSeal option available. Every feature applies with a retrofit applicator, can be custom-printed, and can be bypassed when you need to run without it.

Adding tamper evidence to your line

Each feature is applied with a Sealstrip retrofit applicator that mounts to your existing wrapper/bagger — and Sealstrip designs and builds the applicators itself, custom-fit to your specific machine. That means you can add a clear tamper-evident signal without replacing equipment, and bypass it whenever a run doesn’t need it.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between tamper-evident and tamper-resistant?

Tamper-evident makes opening visible and irreversible — you can see the package has been opened. Tamper-resistant makes a package harder to open in the first place. Sealstrip’s features focus on tamper evidence: a clear, one-look signal of whether the package is intact.

Can one feature be both easy-open and tamper-evident?

Yes — and it’s the most efficient approach. The tear that opens the package is also the tamper signal: intact means untouched, torn or missing means opened. One feature, one applicator, both jobs.

Which tamper-evident options work for pharma and medical devices?

Teartape (hermetic and color-coded, ideal for pre-filled syringes and overwrap), Shrinktape (for shrink-wrapped devices and OTC products), and Peelwrap (for device kits and overwrap) all provide a clear first-open indication.

Can I have tamper evidence and resealability in one package?

Yes. FreshPak, Sealstrip, and  SealAcross combine an easy open, a reseal, and a TamperTear tamper-evident feature, — so you get tamper evidence and reclosability together.

Do tamper-evident features need special equipment?

They’re added with Sealstrip retrofit applicators custom-built to fit your existing wrapper, and each can be bypassed — so there’s no full equipment replacement to add a tamper-evident feature.

About Sealstrip

Sealstrip Corporation has spent decades engineering easy-open and resealable convenience features for flexible packaging — pairing pressure-sensitive tapes with retrofit applicators built to fit the line you already run. Sealstrip is a WBENC-certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), a member of the Flexible Packaging Association, and manufactures in the USA in a facility certified under the GFSI-recognized IFS PACsecure standard.

Need a clear tamper-evident signal on your flexible package? Sealstrip can add one to a sample of your own packaging so you can see how it looks and works. Call 1-888-658-7997.