This practice is designed to detect the changes in sensory attributes of foods and beverages stored in various packaging materials or systems, or both. It is not a practice intended to determine shelf-life.

This practice may be used for testing a wide variety of materials in association with many kinds of products. There are many ways in which a packaging material may influence a product during storage. First, the packaging material may contaminate the product with off-flavors by direct transfer of packaging component compounds to the product. Second, the packaging material may adsorb components from the product which may then be further transferred to the atmosphere, thus reducing aroma intensity in the product. Third, external contaminants may permeate the package and possibly be transferred to the product. In addition to flavor influences, packaging materials may allow color or textural changes, or both, and many other measurable sensory effects.