1	Beer Packaging George K. Crochiere Crochiere & Associates, LLC
2	Purpose for Packaging Deliver product to consumer Protect product from contamination Marketing and sale of product Function as a dispenser
3	Packaging Performance Facilitates fast and consistent filling Feed through filling equipment Consistent fill heights Low oxygen levels Easily cleaned and labeled Does not contaminate the beer All components have good flavor, dusting, etc properties Helps to preserve the beer’s freshness for the expected shelf life Good barrier properties Easy for consumer to open Low opening torques or opening forces
4	Packaging Performance No package is perfect All plastics/polymers are permeable Temperature and humidity greatly effect barrier performance The term “Barrier” is a relative and often selective term The number of potential contaminants is endless The choice of a package type is a compromise
5	Packaging Options Glass bottle with metal closure Pry-off crown, twist-off crown, ROPP Cans Plastic bottles and closures Combinations of glass or plastic bottles with plastic or metal closures Various internal and external metal coatings Various closure liner materials
6	Packaging Trends for the Future? Glass to plastic Metal closures to plastic Light weighting plastic 2 –piece to 1-piece closures “Barrier” materials Active or scavenger materials Push for lower costs
7	Packaging Evaluation New packaging should protect the beverage at least as well as the current over the expected shelf life New materials perform in different ways Standard testing may not reveal all potential hazards
8	Points for Discussion Oxygen control Measurement Filling Barriers Scavengers Carbonation retention Packaging contamination Testing recommendations Sensory evaluation
9	Oxygen Control
10	Oxygen Concentration in Beer
11	Oxygen Concentration in Water
12	Typical Oxygen Control Measures Blanket tanks with inert atmosphere Use preservatives/antioxidants in beverage Purge bottles with inert gas Fill under inert gas atmosphere Foam beer or inject inert gas prior to closing Packaging selection Refrigerate warehouses and trucks
13	Estimated Quantity of Oxygen in Beer Bottles per Source
14	Headspace Volume and Flush versus Total Package Oxygen
15	Barrier Closures and Sealants Effective at reducing the ingress of oxygen, nitrogen and contaminants Reduces the loss of carbon dioxide Barrier properties dependent on Sealant barrier properties Sealant physical properties Closure design Closing conditions Potential to use barrier materials in secondary packaging such as capsules, wax dips, etc.
16	Oxygen Ingress Through Crown Liners
17	Oxygen Scavenger Sealants Effective at reducing the ingress of oxygen relative to the standard closure and sealant Oxygen scavenger can be added to the sealant, coating, or closure Performance dependent on the activation of the scavenger and path of oxygen ingress Has potential to reduce oxygen in package Shelf-life of scavenger containing materials is limited
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19	Oxygen Scavenger Effect on Oxygen Available to Beer
20	Oxygen Scavenger Effect in Crown Liners
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22	Temperature Effect On Oxygen Ingress Through Plastic Barrier Closure
23	Approximate Oxygen Ingress for Various Package Combinations
24	Barrier and Oxygen Scavenger Materials
25	Molded Liner Materials
26	Mono-Layer Liner Materials
27	Multi-Layer Barrier Materials
28	Oxygen Scavengers Used in Closures
29	Oxygen Scavenging of Bottle Headspace Removal of oxygen from the headspace is dependent on reacting that oxygen with the scavenger before it can react with the beer “Faster” scavengers are required “Faster” scavengers are achieved by using catalysts, “porous” polymers and fine particle distribution. “Faster” scavengers usually have shorter shelf-lives
30	Barrier & Scavenger Evaluation Think of oxygen ingress the same way you have looked at carbonation loss. Test the filled package. Fill to the lowest possible oxygen levels. Subject the packaging to the same abuse you would for carbonation loss or torques. When evaluating plastic bottles and closures, determine ingress for each component separately.
31	Accelerated Flavor Testing for Oxidation Fill at low initial oxygen levels Test oxygen ingress not heat aging Heat aging = long term pasteurization Accelerated oxygen ingress = flavor shelf-life Bottles are placed in pure oxygen atmosphere for approximately 5X acceleration
32	Oxygen Scavenger Issues By products of the oxidation of the scavenger can cause taste and odor problems. Total capacity and thus months of protection are controlled by the amount of scavenger used. A scavenger closure liner will not make up for a poor barrier bottle, and visa versa. Moisture exposure during warehousing of raw materials, bottles or closures can prematurely activate and consume scavenger
33	Questions For Suppliers Shelf-life of scavenger bottles and closures at high temperature and humidity How is the scavenger activated? How much/long is the scavenger capacity? Can they test questionable items for residual active scavenger? What is the ingress of oxygen at ambient and elevated temperature?
34	Questions For Suppliers (continued) Are the high temperature affects reversible? Do the barrier and sealing properties hold up the warehouse and delivery abuse? What are the barrier properties for carbonation, moisture, alcohol, TCA, etc.? What are the decomposition products of the scavenger? Will they migrate?
35	Carbonation Retention
36	Carbonation/Pressure Retention Zahm-Nagel method to determine Gas Volumes of carbonation in beverage Used for many years by beer, soft drink and mineral water industries Reliable for glass bottles and cans
37	Carbonation/Pressure Retention Issues Carbonation loss through all plastic components, higher rate of loss than glass Plastic bottles expand within first couple days causing a drop in carbonation readings Nitrogen ingress through plastics helps to maintain pressure readings while carbonation is actually dropping faster than indicated Results are very temperature dependant Should consider carbon dioxide meters
38	Temperature Effect on Carbonation Retention
39	Potential Contaminants from Packaging
40	Contaminants Anything in the beverage at the wrong concentration due to the packaging
41	Sources for Migration and Contamination Through the closure, liner and plastic bottle From the ingredients or additives in the closure, liner and bottle From the degradation of the packaging materials
42	Barrier Concerns Ingress Oxygen Nitrogen UV TCA Solvents Exhaust fumes Perfumes Etc. Egress Carbon dioxide Moisture Alcohol Flavor components (scalping)
43	Packaging Material Contaminants Change in “typical” odor and flavor of the plastics Minor additives - antioxidants, heat stabilizers, antistats, process aides Major ingredients – lubricants, plasticizers, scavengers Dust collected on the inside surfaces (paint, metal fines, dirt, etc.)
44	Sources of Packaging Degradation Empty package Excess heat and shear from manufacturing Empty and Filled package Heat and moisture during transportation and warehousing Oxidation and degradation of scavengers UV light exposure
45	Material Degradation Contaminants Bottles Acetaldehydes, antioxidants Closures/liners Aldehydes, ketones, oxidized fatty acids and plasticizers Oxygen scavengers Water soluble scavengers and byproducts Low molecular weight oxidation products
46	Package Evaluation Programs
47	UV Ingress or Exposure UV effects on beer already known UV also degrades plastics and additives used in packaging This degradation causes flavor problems European mineral water industry has established the “Light Box Test” Light Box Test exposes filled bottles to fluorescent or Xinon light for one week Analysis by sensory evaluation Typical contaminants include aldehydes and ketones Unpigmented plastic closures are extremely prone to this problem
48	Acetaldehyde From Plastics Typical to PET packaging as well as other plastics Result of processing heat and shear Standard tests established by ASTM, bottle companies, and soft drink companies Method tests empty bottle for 24 hours via GC Bottle specifications vary by size, color, etc. Specifications range from 1-8 micrograms per liter
49	Environmental Contamination Chemical contamination from materials in atmosphere where the bottle is located Relative barrier performance determined storing filled bottles in concentrated environment Analysis for chemical in beverage by appropriate method (GC, HPLC, etc)
50	TCA Barrier Properties of Crown Liners
51	Bottom Line on Plastic Packaging No bottle or closure is perfect Be aware of the potential problems Determine properties and thresholds that are critical to your product Evaluate and specify performance properties Sensory performance is the bottom line
52	Sensory Evaluation Issues Always test against a control material Fill test samples as consistently as possible Expose control and test samples to the same degree of abuse Accelerate aging by moderately increasing exposure to the contaminant of concern Conduct blind testing Not both added flavor and missing (scalped) flavors