A potato chip is a thin slice of potato that has been deep fried, baked, kettle-cooked, or popped until crunchy. Potato chips are commonly served as a snack, side dish, or appetizer. As there is large amount of oil contained inside the potato chips, they are liable to be oxidized if oxygen enters inside the package. Therefore, it is necessary for the package to have sufficient oxygen barrier property so that the taste and quality of the potato chips would not be influenced.

The potato chip is usually packed in bags or barrels. Those bags are mainly made of aluminum-plastic composite film or aluminized composite film, which shall have sufficient oxygen barrier property to protect the potato chips from moisture.

This article provides a simplified test method for the oxygen barrier property of aluminized composite package for potato chips. 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. Common Packages for Potato Chips

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 can select proper packaging materials to ensure the quality of their products 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