Food Packaging and Labeling
Laboratory Exercise 6
Performance Tests for Packaging Materials
Desired Learning Outcomes
At the end of the class, the students can:
1. Differentiate performance tests from physical and chemical test.
2. Apply drop test for paperboard containers
3. Determine seal strength and package integrity through leakage test.
I. Introduction
Performance test are being conducted in acceptable condition and avoid losses caused by
transportation, handling and storage with reliable good quality packaging. Performance test on
packaging performance will ensure your packaging materials meet the specification and provide
the protection and stability required.
II. Materials and Methods
A. Materials
Plastic film, corrugated boards, laminated films, PET bottle
B. Methodology
Drop Test
Fill a container or package with its contents or water and seal. For a container or
package having the total weight shown in Column 1 of the table below, drop the
container twice from the height shown in Column 2 onto a concrete surface so that
the container or package lands on its bottom or another flat surface. Check the
container or package for leakage of the contents or water.
Column 1 Column 2 Result (PASS/FAIL)
Less than 100 g 80cm Passed
100 g or more and less than 400 g 50cm Passed
400 g or more and less than 2,000 g 30cm Passed
2,000 g or more 25cm Passed
Leakage Test
Place a sealed container or package filled with its contents in a thermostatic bath heated to
45±2°C, laying the container or package on its side. Leave in the bath for 24 hours and
check for leakage of contents.
Pinhole Test
Fill the container or package with methylene blue solution and leave for 30 minutes,
then check for pinholes.
Results and Discussion
Based on the results performed on Drop test it shows that the mineral bottle containing water and
dropped at 80cm, 50cm, 30, cm and 25 cm respectively show positive result all repetitive test
passed the test. Moreover, in the dye leak test containing soy sauces result also to a positive note.
The soy sauce did not leak/ seep into the package it means that a gas or liquid flows through an
object via an imperfection or manufacturing defect such as a hole, or weak seal.
Guide Questions:
1. What are the different performance test for packaging materials?
Break test for glass
Drop test
Dye test
Burst test
Harness test for plastics
Pouch burst test
2. Differentiate performance tests from physical and chemical test for packaging materials?
Performance test conditions the packaging material to stimulate during handling, storage, and
transportation, on the other hand physical test ensure that the packaging material is/are
impervious to contaminants also such test measure specifically on dimensions and optical
properties of the packaging material contrary to that chemical test for packaging material ensures
that the material will not react to the product and the closure must not react with the container it
measures alkalinity of glass, permeability tests.
2. What is Water vapor transmission rates and oxygen transmission rates? How are they
analyzed and why are they important tests for plastic films?
WVTR (water vapor transmission rate) is the steady state rate at which water vapor permeates
through a film at specified conditions of temperature and relative humidity, traditionally a system
to measure WVTR comprises a wet and adjacent dry chamber separated by a sheet of barrier
material under test. Strict control of the wet and dry environments, combined with moisture
measurements can, using Fick's Law, be used to calculate the water transmission through the
barrier. OTR (oxygen transmission rate) is the steady state rate at which oxygen gas permeates
through a film at specified conditions of temperature and relative humidity.
Once air has been replaced in or eliminated from the package, there must be an adequate oxygen
barrier and sufficient seal integrity to maintain a low oxygen concentration inside it. Otherwise,
the driving force created by the oxygen partial pressure differences (21% outside the bag and 0-
2% inside the bag) will cause an ingress of oxygen and destroy the benefit of removing it in the
first place. food packaging (and some non-food packaging for products where atmospheric
oxygen causes harm) has progressed and found ways to reduce oxygen exposure and extend the
shelf life of oxygen-sensitive products. However, WVTR is a critical function of flexible
packaging is to keep dry products dry (potato chips, pretzels, fortune cookies, etc.) and moist
products moist (cheese, muffins, chewing gum, etc.). Without protective packaging, products
would quickly gain or lose moisture until they reached equilibrium with the environmental
relative humidity around them, at which point crispy products would be soggy, and chewy
products would be hard and dry.
