By Timothy S. Donahue

Top Takeaways:

• Retrofit approach: Safeguard Mark I adds child resistance without replacing existing pouch cans.
• PMTA focus: Chemular says the system can minimize disruption to PMTAs already under FDA review.
• Regulatory pressure: FDA is putting greater emphasis on child-resistant nicotine pouch packaging.

Nicotine pouch packaging may not need to change after all.

Chemular has launched a patent-pending child-resistant packaging platform that converts existing nicotine pouch cans into child-resistant packages without requiring manufacturers to redesign the cans.

The new package potentially offers companies a less disruptive response to growing U.S. Food and Drug Administration scrutiny of pouch packaging.

The Safeguard Mark I is an external component designed to fit around existing nicotine pouch cans while keeping their labels, branding, and UPC codes visible. Chemular said the child-resistant closure (CRC)system can be adapted to virtually any pouch can and requires only a Safeguard application station for implementation, allowing manufacturers to continue using their existing packaging and production infrastructure.

That distinction could be particularly important for companies with premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) already under review by the FDA.

Changing a product’s primary container can create additional regulatory and development considerations. Chemular said Safeguard was designed to give manufacturers a pathway to introduce child-resistant packaging while minimizing redevelopment, capital expenditures, manufacturing changes, and potential disruption to pending PMTAs.

“Every brand out there is trying to solve the same problem,” Chemular Chief Commercial Officer Jason Carignan said. “How do you implement child-resistant packaging without starting over or incurring significant costs? Through our work supporting product development and PMTAs across the industry, we’ve seen how significant that challenge can be.

“Safeguard was developed to give manufacturers a fundamentally different option that builds on the products and systems they already have, saving them time and money.”

The launch comes as child-resistant packaging moves higher on the FDA’s nicotine pouch agenda.

In September 2025, the FDA urged pouch manufacturers to adopt child-resistant packaging or other measures after a rise in reported accidental exposures among young children. The agency subsequently incorporated the issue into its nicotine pouch PMTA work, noting that accidental exposures had steadily increased when it launched its accelerated review pilot.

The issue became even more consequential this year. Under FDA enforcement guidance issued in May, the agency said that when considering unauthorized nicotine pouch and vaping products for enforcement, it may examine whether a product poses a heightened public health or safety concern, including whether it lacks child-resistant packaging.

Packaging has also played a prominent role in FDA’s authorization decisions.

The agency’s review of ZYN products highlighted their certified child-resistant polypropylene cans and safety lids as measures that mitigate the potential health hazards of accidental exposure. More recently, the FDA specifically noted that six on! PLUS nicotine pouches authorized through its accelerated pouch pilot would use certified child-resistant cans and safety lids.

That regulatory direction creates a practical problem for manufacturers whose products and PMTAs were developed around conventional cans.

Rather than requiring a manufacturer to replace that container, Safeguard surrounds it. Chemular said its clear outer architecture preserves existing artwork and product identification, while a proprietary spring-based locking mechanism provides child resistance.

The company describes the system as patent-pending and designed to balance child resistance with ease of adult operation. “We wanted to change how the industry approaches the problem,” Safeguard General Manager Sam Benaim said. “Safeguard was designed for simple integration.

“Implementation requires only a single Safeguard application station, making it practical to support multiple can formats and product lines while helping manufacturers bring child-resistant packaging to market more quickly with minimal operational disruption.”

The approach could also address another increasingly important consideration for pouch manufacturers: intellectual property. Chemular said existing packaging patents can limit the options available to companies seeking child-resistant cans, while Safeguard’s external architecture and proprietary locking system offer an alternative.

Chemular has not disclosed pricing or identified customers using the platform. The company said it is working with brands and manufacturers who are evaluating Safeguard for both existing and new nicotine pouch products.