No abstract

The tightness of retail packagings and of their closures is of primary importance both for domestic and industrial products. For this reason, a research programme designed t o establish proper testing methods for a wide range of 'packaging + product' combinations, i n order t o check their tightness or permeability, was set up.All the available testing methods were reviewed, the most reliable ones selected and their sensitivity determined. More than 200 combinations of 'packaging + product' belonging t o five families of consumer products were examined and their tightnesdpermeability problems noted.Finally, specific testing methods were assigned t o each combination of 'packaging + product'. All these examples are currently in use in the packaging laboratory as a guideline for the testing of every kind of packaging.

It is very important t h a t measurements o f the diffusion o f aromas and volatile substances in trace amounts (p.p.m.) through synthetic materials, such as PVC, PE and PP monolayers, be accurate and repeatable. The primary goal o f this w o r k was t o familiarize ourselves with t h e Aromatran@, a new, fully automated analytical instrument, for t h e measurement o f a ketone (2-butanone o r MEK) a t 23°C. A discussion o f results is provided, along with comments on the system's userfriendliness and t h e cost o f t h e tests.