Pet food is plant or animal material intended for consumption by pets. Typically sold in pet stores and supermarkets, it is usually specific to the type of animal, such as dog food or cat food. Pet food contains water, protein, fat, crude fiber, mineral substances, microelements, amino acid and vitamins, etc. Those nutrients especially the fat and protein are liable to be oxidized if the oxygen barrier property of the pet food package is insufficient and thus, the pet food may become deteriorated. Therefore, it is necessary for the pet food manufacturers to examine the oxygen barrier property of the packaging materials before use to guarantee the quality and shelf life of their products.

There are various forms of package for pet food including cans and bags. The aluminum plastic composite package is very common to be used for pet food for its good barrier property and comparatively economical cost. This article provides a test method of oxygen barrier property of aluminum plastic composite packaging material for your reference.

The test specimens are bags made of aluminum plastic composite films and the testing instrument is Labthink’s VAC-V2 Gas Permeability Tester, which adopts differential pressure method.

With differential pressure method, the sample is mounted in a gas transmission cell so as to form a sealed semi-barrier between two chambers. One chamber contains the test gas at a specific high pressure, and the other chamber, at a lower pressure, receives the oxygen. The oxygen will be detected by either a manometric sensor or a volumetric sensor.

Figure 1. Aluminum Plastic Composite Packages for Pet Food

Figure 2. VAC-V2 Gas Permeability Tester

The tests can be performed according to the following procedures.

(1)   Cut three pieces of specimens with sample cutter. The diameter of the specimen should be Φ97 mm.

(2)   Clamp the three specimens into the test cells of the instrument.

(3)   Set specimen name, specimen thickness, test temperature, test humidity and other test parameters.

(4)   Switch on the vacuum pump.

(5)   Click Start Test to start the tests. The test results will be calculated and displayed automatically.

By testing the oxygen barrier property, the manufacturer of the pet food can select proper packaging materials to ensure the quality of the pet food within shelf life.

For more details about VAC-V2 Gas Permeability Tester, please visit www.labthink.com

About Labthink Instruments Co., Ltd:

Labthink Instruments Co., Ltd is one leading supplier of packaging testing instruments, which is headquartered in Jinan, China and operated in Boston, U.S.A.