4.1 This practice is designed to determine the effects of different packaging materials whether of construction or systems (overpack, inert atmosphere, etc.), or both. Different packaging materials may require different packaging systems and thus detectable differences may not be experimentally separable from these influences. The practice then, is limited to those situations where comparative results are meaningful. This practice should be used where experimental materials or alternate storage conditions are evaluated against a known control, for example, a soft drink in cans with experimental liners versus known liners, or potato sticks in plastic bags versus coated paper bags. Accepted industry standard packages, such as glass bottles and metal cans may also be used as controls.

4.2 There are many ways in which a packaging material may influence a product during storage. First, the packaging material may contaminate the product with off-flavors/aromas by direct transfer of packaging component compounds to the product, commonly referred to as contribution or migration effect. Second, the packaging material may adsorb components from the product thus reducing flavor/aroma intensity of the product, commonly referred to as sorption or scalping effect. Third, external contaminants may permeate through the package and possibly be transferred into the product and/or compounds in the product may permeate out of the packaging, commonly referred to as permeation effect. (See Fig. 1.)

FIG. 1 Packing and Product Interactions Chart