Water vapour permeation testing of food packaging at Campden BRI, Research and Technology Organisation

Based in the UK, Campden BRI provide the food and drinks industry worldwide with the research, technical and advisory services essential to ensure product quality and safety, process efficiency and innovation. The research centre is a continuous source of knowledge for industry, meeting frequently with its thirteen member interest groups and associated industrial working parties. Contract research and development is also carried out on behalf of UK government departments, levy boards, industrial consortia and the European Union. At Campden’s R&D facilities in Gloucestershire there are three fully equipped food processing halls, product and process development areas, a state-of-the-art sensory analysis suite, and extensive research and analytical laboratories. As part of their research for the food and drinks industry, Campden BRI offer package testing for clients who are looking at reducing packaging costs whilst maintaining packaging performance. They were recently asked to assess whether the additional ethylene vinyl alcohol layer (EVOH) was benefitting the moisture barrier properties of board pots. In order to determine the moisture barrier levels of the pots, the water transmission rate was measured using a permeation analyser. They tested the pots with the ethylene vinyl alcohol layer and then without this layer. In this instance, the water vapour transmission rates (WVTR) weren’t adversely affected by removing the EVOH – so the layer wasn’t adding any significant benefit to the moisture barrier quality of the pots. Campden BRI used the Systech 7001 Water Vapour Permeation Analyser to test the WVTR of the board pots. For reliable water vapour analysis, this permeation analyser offers a quick response and consistently accurate measurements, with precision temperature and humidity flow control and a P2O5 sensor for absolute moisture. Lynerric Potter, Senior Research Officer at Campden BRI says, “Water vapour and oxygen transmission are just two of the tests we offer, using a suite of instrumental analysis systems which we can also use to assess physical properties, such as tensile strength and internal pressure resistance, leak detection and seal integrity. Instruments like the Permeation Analyser are an important part of our tool-kit.” At Campden BRI laboratory testing facilities they also use the 8001 oxygen permeation analyser and Gaspace Advance headspace gas analyser from Systech Illinois.

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