In biscuit packaging, quality assurance involves multiple performance evaluations, including seal strength, moisture barrier performance, and compression resistance. However, before these properties can be meaningfully assessed, impact resistance must be verified first. For biscuits, which are inherently fragile and highly sensitive to shock, drop testing becomes a foundational step in validating packaging reliability.

During filling, packing, warehousing, and distribution, biscuit packages are exposed to frequent handling and unavoidable drops. Even minor impacts can result in internal breakage, excessive crumbs, or seal damage. Without sufficient impact resistance, downstream testing may overlook failures that only emerge under real handling conditions.

1.Why Biscuit Packaging Is Highly Sensitive to Drop Impact

Unlike products that can tolerate deformation, biscuits rely entirely on packaging to absorb and disperse external forces. Damage may not always be visible from the outside, but internal breakage directly affects consumer experience and brand perception.

Internal Product Fragility

Biscuits crack easily under sudden acceleration or deceleration. When a package is dropped, internal movement can cause biscuits to collide with each other or with rigid packaging surfaces, leading to breakage even when the outer pack remains intact.

Seal Integrity Under Dynamic Stress

Drop impact transfers force to the sealed areas of the package. Weak or inconsistent seals may partially separate during impact, increasing the risk of moisture ingress or gradual leakage during storage.

Structural Weak Points at Edges and Corners

Edges and corners experience concentrated stress during drops. Repeated impacts can weaken these areas over time, creating micro-damage that compromises packaging performance later in the supply chain.

2.Applying Drop Testing to Biscuit Packaging

Drop testing is used to replicate real-world handling and logistics conditions rather than idealized laboratory scenarios. For PET/LDPE biscuit pouches, test samples are filled with actual biscuits or equivalent loads to accurately reproduce internal product movement during drops and handling.

The combination of PET and LDPE in the laminate provides a balance of rigidity and flexibility: the PET layer adds structural support to resist punctures and maintain shape, while the LDPE layer absorbs impact energy and ensures seal reliability.

Testing follows widely recognized standards such as ASTM and ISTA to ensure results are both realistic and repeatable.

ASTM D5276 specifies free-fall drop heights that simulate the shocks encountered during manual handling, packing line transfers, and warehouse operations. ISTA protocols introduce multiple drop orientations—flat, edge, and corner impacts—to evaluate cumulative damage rather than single-event failures. These testing conditions are particularly relevant for PET/LDPE biscuit pouches, where repeated minor impacts can compromise the laminate’s protective barrier or the integrity of the seals more than a single severe drop.

3.Practical Drop Testing Methodology for Biscuit Packaging

Representative Sample Selection

Samples are randomly taken from production to reflect actual manufacturing conditions, ensuring that results are relevant to real shipments rather than ideal samples.

Realistic Drop Heights

Drop heights are selected based on package weight, handling scenarios, and retail replenishment conditions. Larger family packs or bulk formats are tested under higher drop conditions to reflect warehouse and pallet handling.

Multiple Orientations and Repetitions

Packages are dropped in various orientations, with particular attention to edges and corners, which are most susceptible to impact-related damage.

Post-Test Evaluation

After testing, packaging is inspected for seal separation, deformation, and film damage. Biscuits are examined for cracking, fragmentation, and excessive crumb generation. Only packages that remain fully sealed and protect product integrity are considered to pass.

4.The Benefits of Drop Testing in Biscuit Packaging

Protecting Product Integrity

Biscuit products are fragile and prone to breaking or crumbling under impact. Drop testing simulates real-world handling conditions, allowing manufacturers to identify weak points in the packaging, such as corners, seals, or internal cushioning. By ensuring the packaging can withstand shocks and drops, biscuits arrive intact, preserving their shape, texture, and overall quality—essential for maintaining consumer satisfaction and reducing waste.

Optimizing Packaging Design

Drop testing provides critical insights into how different materials and packaging structures perform under stress. For PET/LDPE pouches, testing evaluates whether the PET layer delivers sufficient rigidity while the LDPE layer absorbs impact effectively. These insights enable packaging engineers to refine designs, improve structural performance, and achieve a balance between protection, cost, and material efficiency.

Reducing Logistics Losses

Biscuit packaging is subjected to multiple handling points, including warehouse stacking, pallet movement, and retail shelf replenishment. Drop testing exposes potential failure points before products leave the factory, helping to reduce damage during transport. Minimizing breakage and spillage lowers operational costs, decreases returns, and improves supply chain reliability.

Maintaining Seal and Barrier Performance

Even minor impacts can gradually weaken seals or compromise barrier performance, allowing moisture ingress or contamination. Drop testing ensures that packaging maintains its structural integrity under repeated stress, protecting biscuits from environmental factors and extending shelf life. This is particularly important for packages that rely on four-side seals, where edges and corners are the most vulnerable.

Strengthening Brand Trust

Consistently delivering intact biscuits builds confidence among retailers and consumers. Drop-tested packaging reduces the risk of visible damage or product breakage, reinforcing the perception of quality and reliability. Reliable packaging strengthens brand reputation, supports repeat purchases, and enhances customer loyalty.

Conclusion

Drop testing reveals hidden weaknesses that visual inspection and static testing cannot detect. For biscuit packaging, it confirms whether the package can protect fragile products from cumulative impact throughout the supply chain.

By validating impact resistance first, biscuit packaging quality is assessed where it matters most: under real handling conditions, not controlled assumptions.