Importance of Food Packaging Testing and Testing Instruments

Food needs good packaging to protect it from spoilage, contamination, and other hazards. Good packaging also helps to maintain the quality and freshness of the food and to ensure that it is safe for consumption. Additionally, good packaging helps to extend the shelf life of the food and to ensure that it is properly labeled and easy to identify.

To improve food packaging quality, it is important to ensure that the packaging materials used are safe and suitable for their intended use. Additionally, it is important to test the packaging materials to ensure that they meet regulatory requirements and industry standards. It is also important to ensure that the packaging materials do not contaminate the food and that the food is protected from spoilage, contamination, and other hazards. Finally, it is important to ensure that the packaging is properly labeled and easy to identify.

The Importance of Food Packaging

Food packaging testing is an important part of the food supply chain. It ensures the safety, quality, and integrity of food products by testing their packaging materials and detecting any potential contaminants or defects.

In today’s world, where food safety is a major concern, food packaging testing is essential for companies to protect their customers and their brand reputation. Food packaging testing helps companies ensure that the food products they supply are safe and suitable for human consumption. It is used to detect and identify any potential contaminants, such as bacteria, mold, and other microorganisms, that may be present in the food product. It also checks for any physical defects in the packaging materials.

Food packaging testing helps companies determine whether the packaging materials used to store and transport food products are safe and suitable for the product in question. It tests for the strength and barrier properties of the packaging material and its ability to protect the product from contamination, spoilage, and other factors.

Food packaging testing helps companies comply with food safety regulations. These regulations are designed to protect the health and safety of consumers, so it is important that food products comply with them. Companies need to regularly test their packaging materials to make sure they meet the regulatory requirements.

Finally, food packaging testing helps companies protect their brand reputation. If a company’s food products are found to be unsafe or of poor quality due to faulty packaging materials, it can affect their reputation and make it difficult for them to sell their products. Testing helps companies ensure that their food products are safe and that their packaging materials meet the necessary standards.

In conclusion, food packaging testing is an essential part of the food supply chain. It helps companies protect their customers and their brand reputation by ensuring that the food products they supply are safe and suitable for human consumption and that their packaging materials meet all the regulatory requirements.

Main food packaging testing methods

Sealing performance testing

1. Negative pressure method

The negative pressure method is a very common method for testing the sealing performance of food packaging. The seal strength of food packaging is tested by placing the sample into a sealed container and then applying a vacuum to the container.

Testing method and process

To create a controlled environment for the sample, it is first placed within a chamber filled with water, which is then securely covered with a lid. To establish a vacuum within this chamber, a gas switch is manually activated, allowing compressed air to flow through a venturi tube. This creates a vacuum inlet that is directly connected to the chamber. The degree of vacuum can be adjusted by means of a gas regulator, thus tailoring the vacuum level to suit the sample’s requirements.

The pressure disparity between the interior and exterior of the sample becomes apparent when there is a leak. In such instances, any headspace gas will escape, thereby generating a stream of bubbles originating from the leak location. This bubble formation serves as a clear indicator of the presence of a leak.

2. Positive pressure method

We can also call him pressure decay. Pressure decay is a highly prevalent technique for conducting food packaging leak testing. This method involves monitoring the reduction in pressure within the sample. Initially, the sample is pressurized to a specified target level, after which the air source is sealed. Subsequently, any decrease in pressure is detected and serves as an indicator of a potential leak.

Tensile strength testing

1. Heat seal tensile strength testing

First use a heat seal tester to heat seal the food packaging samples. After the sample is cooled to room temperature, its heat seal strength is tested using a tensile machine.

2. Tensile strength testing

The TST-01 Tensile Tester is a versatile tool designed for evaluating a wide range of attributes in food packaging materials, including plastic film and stretch film. Its applications span the measurement of tensile strength, peeling resistance, deformation, tear resistance, heat sealing quality, adhesion, puncture force, opening force, and various other performance characteristics for these materials.

3. Hot tack Testing

Hot tack, a vital characteristic of some food packaging material, plays a pivotal role in gauging the layer’s resilience against external forces attempting to break the seal while it’s still hot. This attribute holds immense significance, particularly in processes like food vertical form fill and seal (VFFS).

To precisely evaluate this property, we have the HTT-02 Hot Tack Tester, designed with a specific focus on measuring the strength of heat seals between thermoplastic surfaces immediately after their formation, before they have a chance to cool down to room temperature. This testing procedure is of utmost importance in the assessment of the effectiveness and dependability of heat seals across food packaging applications.

Using food packaging testing instruments can improve production efficiency and avoid safety issues.