Food Packaging Testing & Beverage Package Testing
At least 50,000 food related products exist in the marketplace with special package requirements matched with specific testing needs.
The packaging for such products will focus on the protective, containment, convenience, identification, dispensing, and utility functions of the package to deal with the hazards that occur in the distribution and storage environments. Packaging must also be designed to protect against a vast array of distribution hazards, which may include the inputs below.
| Package Functions | Hazards & Sources | Typical Test Procedures | Typical Specs | WESTPAK Capabilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protection from impacts or shock | Shock related damage from manual or mechanical handling during storage and transportation | Package freefall drop tests | ASTM D5276 ASTM D3071 ASTM D3060 ASTM D5487 ISTA Series |
(8) drop test systems |
| Identification and motivation: protection from vibration induced scuffing | Label or container surfaces can become scuffed from transportation vibration resulting in illegible or unappealing package surfaces | Random vibration tests | ASTM D4278 ASTM D4169 ASTM F2497 ISTA Series |
More than (19) different vibration test systems to meet all types of test requirements |
| Protection from temperature and humidity extremes | Temperature and humidity extremes in storage and distribution | High temperature and humidity extremes: Low temperature extremes |
ASTM D4332 | More than (65) different temperature & humidity test chambers |
| Utility: ability to stack the packages for better space utilization | Top load compression from storage and from stacking in vehicles | Compression test to failure: Compression test, max load and release |
ASTM D642
ISTA Series |
(2) complete container compression test systems |
| Utility: the ability to resist pressure differentials from high altitude shipment | Lower atmospheric pressure of higher altitudes, above 5000 feet by truck or in aircraft, can expand any closed system | Expansion and over-pressurization of sealed containers or compartments. | ASTM D6653 | (4) complete vacuum test chambers |
| Containment: resisting stress cracking from product interaction and top load | Highly acidic or highly basic products can cause stress cracking of polymeric containers in the presence of heat, top load, or pressure | top-load stress crack resistance testing | ASTM D1681 ASTM D1693 ASTM D1975 ASTM D5571 |
Top-load fixturing that can accommodate a wide variety of containers |
| Utility: forklift handling stability for unitized pallet loads | Most consumer product pallet loads are handled with forklifts. A sudden turn by the forklift driver can cause a load to come apart on the forks and fall apart. | Fork Lift stability course procedure. | ASTM D1083 ASTM D5331 |
Complete forklift handling test courses at all lab sites |
| Containment and convenience: bottle cap torque retention | The caps on many polymeric bottles can lose retention torque through temperature cycling, vibration, and other distribution hazards. | Cap torque removal studies following temperature cycling and vibration | ASTM D4278 ASTM D3810 |
Complete facilities for cap retention studies at all lab sites |
| Utility and Dispensing: spray pattern studies | The spray patterns of pump and trigger sprayers can be affected by heat, product exposure, vibration and other hazards | Spray pattern evaluation run before and after heat/cold cycling, vibration, and shelf life tests can address this issue | ASTM D4041 Various other procedures |
All Westpak locations have the capability to run this analysis |
By subjecting your product/package system to the above suggested test procedures, or others, you will quickly determine the ability of the primary, secondary, and tertiary package systems to perform their intended functions in the anticipated distribution and in-use environments. Minor adjustments, major changes, supplier qualifications, material changes, or reevaluations can normally be accomplished at this point, prior to disappointing your customer with poor product quality upon delivery.