Welcome to a new episode of Crazy About Packaging, where we’re pulling back the curtain on something most consumers never think about: food safety in packaging.
This episode digs into what has to happen before a package ever touches a product. Testing, validation, documentation, more testing — and that’s just to get started.
If you’ve ever wondered why changing a packaging material takes months or even years, this one’s for you.
Sneak Peek for Episode 6
You can listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch it above. Keep reading for highlights from this episode and what stood out most.
Where in the World Are Mike and Jonathan?
We begin with a new segment: Where in the world are Mike and Jonathan? As we’ve discussed in previous podcast episodes, our C.A.P. Pack members are always on the move — Mike and Jonathan travel the country (and the world!) working with CPGs to identify the right fit material for their lines. We want to check in on their travels and hear their highlights.
This time: California.
Mike and Jonathan have just returned from a short trip to the west coast, where they found a surprise waiting for them: every water bottle in the state was aluminum — no plastic options in sight. At first glance, it looks like a sustainability win. But when you know what it takes to make aluminum truly more sustainable than plastic, the story gets complicated. (Spoiler: it depends on how many times the bottle gets reused. And most won’t.)
The takeaway? Sustainability only works when the infrastructure supports it. And the same is true for food safety in packaging — systems only work when the entire supply chain supports them.
Behind the Package: What Has to Happen First
With our globetrotting behind us, let’s get into the good stuff: food safety in packaging.
We talk a lot about packaging design, function, and sustainability. But before any of that, there’s one critical question every team has to answer: Is this package food-safe?
And it turns out that that’s a much bigger lift than most people think.
Before a package ever hits a line, suppliers go through:
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Quality audits
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Certification checks
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Regulatory reviews
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Material-level analysis
Then come the real-world questions that determine whether packaging performance holds up outside the lab:
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Will this material hold up under heat?
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How does it interact with the product?
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Can it survive retort processing?
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What happens under pressure during transit?
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Does it maintain barrier performance over time?
Brands don’t just want paperwork. They want to see how it performs, because what works in theory doesn’t always hold up in a plant.
Migration Testing Is Where It Gets Complicated
Here’s where packaging and food safety really start to intersect.
Migration testing checks whether anything from the packaging could transfer into the food — as well as what happens when food and material interact over time.
And that testing gets specific fast. Different products behave differently. Acidic foods, dairy, high-fat ingredients, light exposure, shelf life. It all matters.
Need an example? Mike breaks down the ways that material makeup and color can interact in dairy products. “PET, by its nature, is generally a packaging material used without color and opacity. Because of that, there are light waves that get through the PET. And many dairy products will break down based on certain light waves being introduced into the product through the packaging.”
This can land CPGs in a lot of trouble if they haven’t thought thoroughly about their material choices and the downstream effects on the product. In fact, our team has frequently used XPP in applications that were originally intended to use PET, as XPP was more able to meet the shelf life requirements of stores across regions.
Another layer? The packaging isn’t just the resin. It’s additives, colorants, and barrier layers. Change any component and you might have to start the entire process over again.
Why Seal Integrity Always Comes Up
Even if the material is perfect, if the seal fails, the package fails.
Seal integrity is one of the most critical (and most tested!) parts of food packaging. It has to hold through filling, sealing, shipping, stacking, and sitting on a shelf.
One brand discovered the challenges of the right seal the hard way. They sealed their pudding cups tightly to avoid any risk of contamination, but quickly found that their solution made the product unusable: kids weren’t able to open the cups on their own. Problem solved… until it wasn’t.
Good seal design is a balance between protection and usability, and getting it right takes time.
Packaging Changes Aren’t Just Plug-and-Play
The biggest takeaway from this episode? Switching materials isn’t as simple as picking a new spec.
Here’s what really happens:
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Test the material
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Form and test the package
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Fill and seal the product
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Run distribution tests
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Validate shelf life
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Rerun any step that doesn’t meet brand or regional requirements
And sometimes, the same packaging has to pass multiple standards, such as U.S. FDA, EU food contact, and even internal brand rules that go further than both. It’s a balancing act — and even the best brands need the right partner to help them through the process.
Food Safety in Packaging Doesn’t Happen by Accident
By the time a package hits shelves, it’s already been through years of testing, tweaks, and sign-offs. The work is slow, methodical, and for good reason. When you’re packaging food, there’s no room for guesswork.
Thanks for tuning in to Crazy About Packaging. Be sure to subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or listen to past episodes on our website. If you’re working on a material change, building a new structure, or just want to make sure your packaging can hold up to everything it needs to do — get in touch. We’re ready when you are.
