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Food packaging is essential for protecting food from contamination, spoilage, and damage. It also plays an important role in maintaining food quality and shelf life. Package integrity is a critical factor in ensuring the safety and quality of food products. Food packaging can be made from a variety of materials, including plastic, metal, glass, and paper. The type of packaging used depends on the type of food being packaged and its intended use. For example, perishable foods, such as meat and dairy products, require packaging that can provide a barrier to moisture and oxygen to prevent spoilage. Non-perishable foods, such as canned goods and dried goods, may require less stringent packaging requirements. Packaging that goes through a processing or retort system presents yet another set of challenges to insure integrity of the package and protection of product quality.

Package integrity testing is the process of evaluating the ability of a package to protect its contents from contamination and spoilage. It is an important quality control measure that can help to ensure food safety and quality. There are a variety of different package integrity testing methods available. Some methods are destructive, while others are non-destructive. Destructive methods, such as water bath testing, involve damaging the package to test for leaks. Non-destructive methods, such as Vacuum Decay testing, do not damage the package.

The VeriPac technology is a non-destructive Container Closure Integrity Test (CCIT) system that uses Vacuum Decay technology to detect leaks in food packaging. Vacuum decay is an ASTM-approved test method (F2338) that is recognized by the FDA as a consensus standard for package integrity testing.

To test a package using VeriPac technology, the package is placed in a vacuum chamber and the pressure is applied. The system then measures the rate at which the pressure in the chamber changes. If there is a leak in the package, the pressure in the chamber will increase more quickly. Vacuum Decay technology is a highly sensitive and accurate test method that can detect leaks as small as 20 microns. It is also a very versatile test method that can be used to test a wide variety of food packaging types and sizes.

• Non-destructive, non-subjective, no sample preparation.
• Deterministic, quantitative test method.
• Defect detection down to 0.2 ccm.
• High level of sensitivity, repeatability and accuracy.
• Short cycle time provides operator with PASS/FAIL result.
• Small footprint and modular portable design.
• ASTM test method and FDA standard.
• Referenced in USP 1207 guidance.

Overall, the VeriPac Vacuum Decay is a valuable tool for food manufacturers and processors who are looking to improve their quality control processes and ensure the safety and quality of their products.