How to Choose the Right Barrier Film for Your Product

• Oxygen: turns fats rancid, grows mold, and fades the color of meat and cheese.
• Moisture: softens dry goods and corrodes metal parts.
• Aroma loss: drains flavor from coffee, spices, and pet food.

• OTR (oxygen transmission rate): how much oxygen passes through one square meter of film in 24 hours. Lower is better. Test method: ASTM D3985.
• MVTR (moisture vapor transmission rate): how much water vapor passes through the same area. Lower is better. Test method: ASTM F1249.

A common industry rule of thumb calls a film “high barrier” when OTR falls below 15.5 cc/m²/day.

EVOH stands for ethylene vinyl alcohol, a resin sandwiched between other plastic layers. Moisture weakens EVOH, so wet products need the EVOH layer buried inside moisture-blocking layers.

1. Name the biggest threat. Oxygen, moisture, or aroma. Start with the one causing your losses.
2. Set your shelf life target. Days on the shelf drive how low your OTR and MVTR need to go.
3. Request test data. Ask for OTR and MVTR plus the temperature and humidity of each test. A number with no test conditions tells you nothing.
4. Match the barrier layer. Use the table above to weigh barrier, forming, visibility, and cost.
5. Check your seals. A high barrier film with a bad seal still leaks through tiny channels. Audit seal temperature, dwell time, and pressure.
6. Run a trial. Run sample rolls at full line speed. Track seal failures, forming problems, and shelf life against your current film.

• Accepting an “equivalent” film without OTR and MVTR test data. Two films look identical on the roll.
• Blaming the film for leaks caused by seal settings.

Multiply units scrapped or returned per month by your cost per unit. Compare the total with the monthly upcharge for a higher barrier film. Short shelf life usually costs more than the film.

Send us your current film spec and product details. We will compare barrier options and spell out the cost difference in dollars.

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