Background: A consumer goods company produces and sells a range of food products in the United States and is looking to expand globally. The company’s management team is concerned about the durability and effectiveness of their current packaging materials and wants to ensure that the packages can withstand the rigors of transportation and storage during the exporting process. As a result, they decided to conduct a packaging testing study to ensure the long-term survival of their products.
Objectives: The objective of the packaging testing study was to evaluate the performance of the current packaging materials, and to determine if they could withstand the shipping and storage demands of export markets. Specifically, the company wanted to:
1. Identify any weaknesses in the packaging to take necessary corrective measures to improve them. 2. Assess the effectiveness of the packaging in preserving the food product during transportation and storage. 3. Determine if the packaging is compliant with international shipping regulations.
Methods: To meet the objectives of the study, the company partnered with a third-party testing laboratory with expertise in packaging testing. The laboratory designed a customized testing plan to evaluate the performance of the company’s packaging materials.
The testing plan involved:
1. Drop Testing: The packaging material was subjected to a series of controlled drops at varying heights to test for durability and strength. 2. Vibration Testing: The packaging material was exposed to continuous shaking and vibration to simulate the transport process. 3. Compression Testing: The packaging material was tested for its resistance to collapse when exposed to different compression forces. 4. Environmental Testing: The packaging material was exposed to varying temperature, humidity, and pressure conditions to determine if it could protect the food product in different storage environments. 5. Regulatory Compliance Testing: The laboratory evaluated the packaging against the international shipping regulations to determine if it complied with the established packaging requirements.
Results: Based on the testing conducted, the company identified several areas of weakness and opportunities for improvement in the packaging materials. The drop, vibration, and compression tests identified the areas where the packaging material deteriorated resulting in damage to the product. In the environmental tests, the packaging withstood the varying temperature, humidity and pressure conditions, indicating that the product was well-protected. Finally, the packaging was tested for regulatory compliance standards and was found to be compliant with the established requirements.
Conclusions: The packaging testing provided the business with critical information regarding the performance of the packaging material and the product’s durability during shipping and storage. The company was able to address areas of weakness identified in the testing and implement corrective actions, ensuring that the packaging materials could maintain the integrity of the food product. The packaging testing also provided the business with confidence to expand globally and enter into new markets.
