Apparatus for forming filled pouches comprising: (a) a vacuum supply apparatus, (b) an elongated flat conveyor support, (c) an elongated row of vacuum apertures leading from the vacuum supply apparatus and discharging through the conveyor support, (d) a sequence of processing stations above the row of apertures in the conveyor support and which comprise holding, forming, filling and sealing stations, (e) a conveyor which includes a plurality of recessed vacuum moulds in its upper surface and mounted to slide over the conveyor support through each the processing station, (f) vacuum orifices extending through the conveyor into the vacuum moulds for transferring under-pressure from the vacuum apertures to each of the moulds, (g) means for supplying formable sheet material on to the conveyor at or ahead of the holding station, (h) drive means for driving the conveyor carrying the sheet material through the processing stations, and (i) means for supplying into the mould recesses through the vacuum apertures and the vacuum orifices a forming under-pressure at the forming station and at one or more subsequent processing stations characterised in that the under-pressure at the subsequent processing stations is provided from a first vacuum apparatus and the under-pressure at the forming station is provided from a second vacuum apparatus, and wherein the under-pressure at the forming station is greater than the under-pressure at one or more of the subsequent processing stations and the apparatus further comprises means for heating the film in, or as it approaches, the forming station in a thermoforming step. (a) a vacuum supply apparatus, (b) an elongated flat conveyor support, (c) an elongated row of vacuum apertures leading from the vacuum supply apparatus and discharging through the conveyor support, (d) a sequence of processing stations above the row of apertures in the conveyor support and which comprise holding, forming, filling and sealing stations, (e) a conveyor which includes a plurality of recessed vacuum moulds in its upper surface and mounted to slide over the conveyor support through each the processing station, (f) vacuum orifices extending through the conveyor into the vacuum moulds for transferring under-pressure from the vacuum apertures to each of the moulds, (g) means for supplying formable sheet material on to the conveyor at or ahead of the holding station, (h) drive means for driving the conveyor carrying the sheet material through the processing stations, and (i) means for supplying into the mould recesses through the vacuum apertures and the vacuum orifices a forming under-pressure at the forming station and at one or more subsequent processing stations characterised in that the under-pressure at the subsequent processing stations is provided from a first vacuum apparatus and the under-pressure at the forming station is provided from a second vacuum apparatus, and wherein the under-pressure at the forming station is greater than the under-pressure at one or more of the subsequent processing stations and the apparatus further comprises means for heating the film in, or as it approaches, the forming station in a thermoforming step.