Packaging designed for food packaging applications need to restrict the flow of oil, water, oxygen, grease and moisture to protect contents and prevent food spoilage. Packaging solutions that meet these requirements are known as barrier food packaging. But how do we evaluate the barrier performance of a packaging product? The industry currently uses two main measurements:

1. Oxygen Transmission Rate, or OTR is a measurement of the amount of oxygen gas that passes through a substance over a given amount of time. To evaluate a packaging solution’s overall barrier performance, caps, heat seals and other closures need to be taken into account alongside the barrier material itself.
2. Then there is Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate (MVTR), also known as Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR), which evaluates the amount of water vapor that permeates a substance over a given time, acting as a measurement for the permeability of vapor barriers. 

Nissha Metallizing Solutions’ METIVO VB paper, which is designed for food contact, is particularly suited to flexible packaging applications, such as beverage powders, cereals and coffee. This paper offers MVTR barriers that maintain the product's performance even when folded. To find out more, get in touch with our team.