ASTM Packaging Standards: Food Packaging and Manufacturing

Part 4: Food Packaging and Manufacturing Industry Challenges

The food industry needs packaging that preserves product freshness, prevents contamination, and withstands the journey from production line to pantry. Food packages come in many forms including, but not limited to metal cans, glass jars, plastic bottles, flexible pouches, cartons. Each packaging form comes with its own integrity concerns. A breach in a package seal can lead to spoilage, growth of pathogens, or staleness. Additionally, many food products are sensitive to oxygen and moisture. This means that, packaging must provide adequate barrier and remain leak proof. Distribution can also be rough, heavy sacks of ingredients may burst if dropped, and bottled liquids can leak or break if not properly protected. Temperature extremes, as in freezing or high heat during transport, pose another challenge. For example, frozen foods need packaging that won’t crack at low temperatures and can handle freezer to heater temperature transitions.

ASTM Standards and Solutions for Food Packaging and Manufacturing

Food companies rely on ASTM standards to test and validate their packaging durability and integrity. Seal integrity tests are used especially for flexible and semirigid packages. In one example, a potato chip bag or a cereal liner can be tested using the vacuum bubble test (ASTM D3078) to ensure no pinholes are present that would let air or moisture in or out. Likewise, a sauce pouch might undergo dye penetration testing (per F3039) to verify heat-sealed seams have no leaks. Packaging meant for vacuum-sealed or modified-atmosphere foods, like vacuum-packed coffee or nitrogen-flushed snack bags, must be hermetic.

Manufacturers often perform internal pressure burst tests (ASTM F1140/F1140M) by pressurizing the package to check if seals hold without bursting. On the other hand, for rigid containers such as glass jars and plastic bottles common in food, standards like ASTM D5094 help check that the closure and container do not leak even if inverted or under pressure. It is common for food packagers to conduct hot fill testing too. This is where filling containers with hot liquid to simulate canning processes, followed by vacuum or pressure tests to ensure the seal remains tight after cooling.

Barrier property tests are also critical. The ASTM F1307 and ASTM D3985 measure oxygen transmission rates through packaging materials. This is crucial for foods like chips or dried fruits that must be protected from oxidation. Similarly, ASTM F1249 measures water vapor transmission to ensure packaging keeps moisture out of dry foods. These tests help in selecting appropriate films or coatings for packages.

On the shipping side, food packaging is validated via transit tests. A pallet of canned goods might undergo ASTM D4169 test cycle for truck transport with vibration and drops, ensuring cans don’t get dented open and labels remain intact. Beverage manufacturers use drop tests (ASTM D5276) to confirm that their PET bottles or aluminum can multipacks won’t rupture when a case is dropped from waist height. They also may use compression tests (ASTM D642) to simulate stacking pallets of products in a warehouse to ensure the bottom layers don’t collapse.

Many have observed chip bags puff up on airplanes. Altitude testing (ASTM D6653) is applied when shipping products like potato chip bags by air. This test ensures they don’t burst at low external pressure.

ASTM Solutions and Best Practices for Food Packaging and Manufacturing

Food companies mitigate packaging risks by designing with these tests in mind: e.g., adding proper headspace in jars to accommodate pressure changes, using tamper-evident and hermetic seals (which are then tested via ASTM methods to verify effectiveness), and choosing packaging materials with proven barrier properties that meet ASTM specifications. They also perform accelerated shelf-life studies, often using ASTM standards (like ASTM E460, which evaluates the effect of packaging on food during storage) to ensure the package keeps the food safe and palatable throughout its intended shelf life.

Compliance in food packaging also means meeting FDA regulations for food contact materials, but ASTM tests support this by ensuring no package failures lead to contamination. A notable practice is conducting regular package integrity tests on production samples. For Example, every hour the manufacturer pulls a random sample off the line and do a quick bubble test or dye test. This way, any sealing equipment issues are caught early, preventing a mass of leaky packages.

In summary, ASTM standards in the food industry help balance the demands of safety (no leaks, tamper evidence), quality (freshness, barrier), and logistics (strength for stacking and transport), thereby reducing recalls and consumer complaints due to packaging failures.