Testing Standard:
ISTA 3K Fast Moving Consumer Goods for the European Retail Supply Chain
Standard Number
ISTA 3K
Standard Title
Fast Moving Consumer Goods in the European Retail Supply Chain
Overview:
ISTA 3K is a general simulation test for fast moving consumer packaged-products shipped through multiple-retail supply chain environments in Europe. This procedure utilizes general simulation of actual transport hazards by packaged consumer goods. Purple Diamond offers ISTA 3K Testing as part of our packaging distribution testing services.
Rationale:
ISTA 3K – Fast Moving Consumer Goods in the European Retail Supply Chain. Can be used to evaluate the protective performance of packaged consumer goods related to thermal conditions, shocks, vibration, and other stressors normally encountered from the retailer-controlled parts of this supply chain. The procedure is used to create general simulation hazards in a regulated laboratory environment that is repeatable.
Key Points:
- Evaluates the performance of packaged-products in retailer-controlled supply chain
- Provides a guide to evaluate packaging-systems in a regulated laboratory environment
- Consider ISTA 3A if shipping outside of retailer-controlled supply chain
- Consider ISTA 3E if the unitized load is made up of the same packaged-products
Related Standards:
- ASTM D642 – Test Method for Determining Compressive Resistance of Shipping Containers, Components, and Unit Loads
- ASTM D4332 – Practice for Conditioning Containers, Packages, or Packaging Components for Testing
- ASTM D4728 – Test Method for Random Vibration Testing of Shipping Containers
- ASTM D5276 – Test Method for Drop Test of Loaded Containers by Free Fall
Related Testing Standards
Accreditations
Achieving ISO 17025 Accreditation is the pinnacle in third-party laboratory testing accreditation. It confirms that the facility has management, quality, and technical systems in place to ensure accurate and reliable analyses.
ISTA is revered as the certification standard for package testing for distribution. ISTA’s Testing Protocol remains a series of testing methodologies and standards well recognized within the packaging community.
A select few companies are authorized by PHMSA as an approved third-party packaging testing laboratory in accordance with Hazardous Materials Regulations, critical to ensuring safe transport of dangerous goods.
Affiliations
With over 12,000 standards globally, ASTM International’s fully transparent standards development enhances performance and confidence in consumer choices.
The Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry’s peer-reviewed standards improve production through operational methods and industry recognized best practices.
