The Permeability Of Food Film Packaging

 
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A huge range of films are used to wrap up food and keep it fresh.  Getting it right dramatically extends the food's shelf life and boosts its freshness.  Getting it wrong can do exactly the opposite. For most foods shelf life is largely controlled by the oxygen vapour permeability of the wrap – sometimes oxygen needs to be excluded, and at others it is vital to ensure it is present. The build-up of CO2 can also play a role for products that respire.

The difference between success and failure comes from finding a film with the right properties and packaging it the right way.  And that's where Versaperm's new Vapour Permeability meters come in as they can measure the vapour permeability with respect to gases including oxygen, CO2 and water vapour, not just for the materials themselves, but for the finished, packaged, product.  These are virtually never the same and are not usually even close.  The design and production of the packaging has a big role to play – as does quality control (QC).

Measuring the permeability used to take weeks for a single sample, but can now be achieved in as little as 30 minutes for some films and vapours.  Results are usually accurate to better than one part per million, with some samples accuracy can be measured in parts per billion (PPB).   And Versaperm's new and extended sensor range can be used to measure vapour permeability with almost any common gas or vapour.

The instruments have a highly automated computerised control and can optionally handle several films or finished products at a time.

A permeability testing service is also available from Versaperm - usually with a 24 hour turn around.                

ENDS

Please send any sales enquiries to Christopher Roberts, Versaperm Limited ,
10 Rawcliffe House, Howarth Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 1AP, UK, Tel: +44 1628 777668,
e.mail info@versaperm.co.uk Web http://www.versaperm.co.uk

For further Press Information please contact Gerry Palmer @ the Palmer & Rose Partnership. Tel 01494 637499, fax 0871 900 3898 e.mail gerry@palmer-rose.co.uk.