The Impact Of Permeation On Shelf Life And Packaging

By Michelle Stevens MOCON, Inc.

Shelf life is the length of time that foods, beverages, pharmaceutical drugs, chemicals, and many other perishable items are given before they are considered unsuitable for sale, use, or consumption. Permeation greatly influences the shelf life of these products as the loss or gain of oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide and odors and aromas can rob the product of flavor, color, texture, taste, and nutrition. Oxygen, for example, causes adverse reactions in many foods such as potato chips. By measuring the rate at which O2 permeates through the package material, one can begin to determine the shelf-life or amount of time the unopened package will still provide ‘good’ chips.