An apparatus for forming a package, said apparatus comprising: a first infeed zone for receiving a supply of a first web of material; and an element having a cavity therein, said element being located downstream of said first infeed zone, wherein a portion of a first web of material may be temporarily deflected into said cavity, said cavity comprising a base and a pair of side walls, said element comprises a moving belt having a surface, said belt moving in a machine direction, wherein the surface of the belt forms a base of said cavity, said element further comprising longitudinal side rails that form side walls of said cavity, said cavity being in the form of a continuous machine-direction-oriented trough, wherein the apparatus further comprises a dispensing device for applying a product onto said portion of said first web of material that overlies said cavity, a second infeed zone for receiving a supply of a second web of material, and a sealing device for sealing a first and second web (52, 62) of material together with said product therebetween, characterized in that said dispensing device is located in a dispensing zone above the element having a cavity therein; said second infeed zone is located downstream of said dispensing device, wherein a second web of material may be disposed to overlie said first web of material with said product thereon; and said sealing device is located downstream of said second infeed zone, wherein the apparatus further comprises a vacuum manifold, a first set of vacuum channels and a second set of vacuum channels, wherein the first set of vacuum channels and the second set of vacuum channels are connected to the vacuum manifold, wherein openings of the first set of vacuum channels are located at a location in a gap formed between the side rails and the moving belt to deflect or retain the lower web of material into the configuration of the cavity, wherein the second set of vacuum channels are formed in the side rails to hold down the edges of the lower web of material. a first infeed zone for receiving a supply of a first web of material; and an element having a cavity therein, said element being located downstream of said first infeed zone, wherein a portion of a first web of material may be temporarily deflected into said cavity, said cavity comprising a base and a pair of side walls, said element comprises a moving belt having a surface, said belt moving in a machine direction, wherein the surface of the belt forms a base of said cavity, said element further comprising longitudinal side rails that form side walls of said cavity, said cavity being in the form of a continuous machine-direction-oriented trough, wherein the apparatus further comprises a dispensing device for applying a product onto said portion of said first web of material that overlies said cavity, a second infeed zone for receiving a supply of a second web of material, and a sealing device for sealing a first and second web (52, 62) of material together with said product therebetween, characterized in that said dispensing device is located in a dispensing zone above the element having a cavity therein; said second infeed zone is located downstream of said dispensing device, wherein a second web of material may be disposed to overlie said first web of material with said product thereon; and said sealing device is located downstream of said second infeed zone, wherein the apparatus further comprises a vacuum manifold, a first set of vacuum channels and a second set of vacuum channels, wherein the first set of vacuum channels and the second set of vacuum channels are connected to the vacuum manifold, wherein openings of the first set of vacuum channels are located at a location in a gap formed between the side rails and the moving belt to deflect or retain the lower web of material into the configuration of the cavity, wherein the second set of vacuum channels are formed in the side rails to hold down the edges of the lower web of material.