Wild launches PET proof test

In the alcohol-free beverage market, there has been a clear shift away from glass to shatter-proof packaging from PET. One of the well-known characteristics of this material is gas permeability.

20/02/06 Wild has launched a quick test procedure, “P.E.T. proof”, which determines the influence of oxygen on drinks in plastic packaging. In less than three weeks, the P.E.T. proof test can deliver a reliable result. A patent for this new method has already been filed in Europe, Japan and the USA.

Wild write that understanding packaging’s influence on the quality of beverages has relied on time consuming real-time tests. In the alcohol-free beverage market, there has been a clear shift away from glass to shatter-proof packaging from PET. One of the well-known characteristics of this material is gas permeability. The penetration of atmospheric oxygen through the bottle is a critical factor because aside from temperature and light, oxygen is a key factor in the aging process of foodstuffs. With P.E.T. proof, Wild says that it closes the current gap concerning existing test procedures for the determination of the stability and/or durability of beverages in plastic packaging.

In the beverage industry, high innovation pressure has become more important due to shorter product life cycles, Wild writes. Innovative beverages often contain a multitude of ingredients, including new raw materials, that require secure and quick test methods for sensory, chemical and physical stability. Conventional durability and stability test procedures – “real time tests” –take the entire period of the shelf-life and no longer appear adequate despite their safe testimony.

Until now, however, no alternative stability and/or durability test procedure existed, where the influence of gas permeability of aging products in PET bottles is reviewed. Fast tests, which are only based on storage at an increased temperature, cannot show the long-term effects due to the short test time. Theoretical calculation models based on the material attributes only serve as a rough guide.

The P.E.T. proof procedure provides the penetration of oxygen through the packaging. The test procedure can closely simulate reality of a typical several month storage on the product quality within less than three weeks. Type and quality of the applied plastic packaging is irrelevant for the real-time test. That is why the P.E.T proof procedure is suitable for al kinds of passive barrier packaging. The evaluation of the sensory changes are carried out objectively through a P.E.T. proof® integrated, computer-aided analysis. WILD is going to apply the P.E.T. proof procedure exclusively for in-house products. 

www.wild.de