Senses working overtime for Dow in caps, closures market

Successful caps and closures need to pass the smell test — and the sight, taste, touch and sound tests as well.

Materials maker Dow Inc. focused on "The Science of Sensory" during a session on the recent 2020 Plastics News Caps & Closures conference. Midland, Mich.-based Dow makes several grades of polyethylene resin that are used to make caps and closures.

A sensory evaluation is the human response to the properties of foods and materials as perceived by the five senses, according to Gail Vance Civille, president of the Sensory Spectrum Inc. consulting firm in New Providence, N.J.

Companies in the caps and closures chain "can make an actionable decision" based on data from a sensory evaluation, she added. "If it's an important decision, make sure you have the time, money and samples to do the test."

Firms also need to combine product understanding with consumer understanding "to get the whole picture" in sensory evaluation, Vance Civille said.

Dow includes sensory science in its Pack Studios research and development centers. These locations can perform compounding, fabrication and physical testing of Dow materials. The firm operates nine Pack Studios globally.

"We want to improve our polyethylene so it has as little taste and odor impact as possible," Tanya Fry, sensory science leader, said during the Sept. 23 session. "We can help our clients improve the properties of their caps and closures."

Dow does "lots of quality assurance work" on its resins that are used in caps and closures. "It has to pass a test before being shipped out the door," Fry added.

At Dow's sensory science studio, panelists chosen from Dow's work force "act as calibrated instruments," she said. More than 24 panelists are used for each evaluation. "To measure what consumers think, you need human input," Fry said.

Technology also plays an important role in sensory testing, according to senior research scientist Shayne Green. "Electronic nose" testing — which simulates the performance of the human nose — is "the premier technology for quality control," he said.

"Packaging can migrate into a food or beverage," Green added. "We need to measure and find the cause for any difference."