Global French Fried Box Load-bearing Standard Test: American Standard Vs European Standard

In the field of food packaging, the load-bearing capacity of French fried boxes directly affects their transportation, storage, and consumer experience. As the two major global markets, the United States and the European Union have significant differences in their standard systems in terms of testing methods, technical indicators, and compliance requirements. The specific comparison is as follows:

1、 Testing methods and core indicators

American standards (ASTM D3078, etc.)

Indirectly evaluate the load-bearing capacity through sealing testing, requiring a leakage rate of ≤ 0.1% under a pressure of 0.5MPa, and verify the stability of the packaging structure by simulating extreme environments (such as cold chain transportation). In addition, the FDA indirectly correlates the load-bearing performance of paper meal boxes with temperature resistance testing (-20 ° C~150 ° C cycling) and microbial residue detection (total bacterial count ≤ 100 CFU/g) to ensure that the box body does not deform in high temperature or humid environments.

EU standards (EN 13432, (EU) No 10/2011, etc.)

Directly targeting load-bearing design testing, such as static pressure testing requiring the box to withstand a pressure of ≥ 50N (approximately 5kg) in the vertical direction with a deformation of ≤ 5mm, and dynamic drop testing simulating the integrity of the box after a free fall from a height of 1.2 meters. For biodegradable materials such as PLA, composting certification (EN 13432) is required to ensure that the structural strength attenuation during degradation meets the safety threshold.

2、 The correlation between materials and chemical safety

America

The FDA requires mandatory testing of total migration (≤ 10mg/dm ²) and heavy metal content (lead and cadmium ≤ 0.01mg/kg) to prevent chemical substances from seeping out and causing the box to become brittle. For example, if nonylphenol (NP) exceeds the standard by 0.3ppm, the product will be taken down from the entire network.

European Union

REACH regulation adds 34 restricted substances (effective in 2025), strictly restricting plasticizers (DEHP/DBP ≤ 0.1mg/kg) and perfluorinated compounds (PFAS zero detection). The chemical migration test needs to simulate the worst-case scenario (such as daily exposure to 1kg of food) to ensure that the box still maintains its load-bearing performance under chemical erosion.

3、 Compliance Path and Market Impact

In the United States, companies are required to complete FDA food facility registration and submit annual testing reports, with a focus on verifying sealing and microbiological safety, indirectly ensuring load-bearing capacity.

EU: In addition to passing EN standard testing, it is also necessary to register factory information and submit REACH chemical testing reports, which directly controls the safety of load-bearing structures and materials.

Conclusion: The American standard focuses on indirect verification (such as sealing and chemical stability), while the European standard emphasizes direct testing (such as static pressure and dynamic drop), both of which jointly promote the development of French fried boxes towards high strength and environmental protection. Enterprises need to choose compliance strategies based on their target markets, such as prioritizing upgrading material thickness (≥ 0.8mm) and labeling biodegradable labels for exports to the European Union, while strengthening sealing processes and microbial control in the US market.

Zhejiang Dongou Printing Industry Co.,Ltd, the expert in French fried box production