Aroma and Flavour Testing of Water Bottles PUBLISHED November 9, 2021 Aroma & Flavour The testing centre used has a full sensory panel accredited by one of our professional research associates. The panel is trained to evaluate aroma and flavour effects of packaging testing and environment upon food products. Two evaluations are made: A. Total impact of the flavour or aroma is rated on over a scale of 1 to 3, with 1 being low. B. The description of the aroma or flavour is through character notes, i.e. of what does it remind the panelist? Extensive training has heightened the panelists’ awareness and "calibrated" their senses. Bottle Sourcing Western Environmental Plastics provided three, one gallon bottles made from: Sample Enviroclear® Copolymer Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) High density polyethylene (HDPE) copolymer Two additional samples were purchased off the shelf, both containing commercial brand bottled water: One gallon HDPE bottle, probably a homopolymer One quart polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle Analysis Procedure All five bottles plus a glass jar control were filled with commercial brand bottled water from a five gallon polycarbonate container. After aging for five days at room temperature, portions of the water were placed in beakers, numbered to correspond to the bottle sampled. The numbered beakers were then used in a "blind" aroma and flavour test. The procedure was repeated for samples aged for five days at 45 degrees centigrade. Laboratory The Enviroclear® copolymer bottle has the lowest total impact ratings in all tests and results matched the control in three out of four tests. The character notes were the same as the control plus a slight fruity note. The water aged at 45 degrees was analyzed for organic concentration. The low levels measured on the Enviroclear®, HDPE homopolymer and PVC samples correlate well with panel results. The PET and HDPE copolymer samples tested much higher. Conclusion: The laboratory conclusion is that the Enviroclear® copolymer bottle should be excellent for packaging water. Results for Aroma and Flavour Testing of Water Bottles Test Procedure Five bottles plus a glass jar control were filled with commercial brand bottled water from a five gallon polycarbonate container. After aging for five days, the water was tested for aroma and flavour by a sensory panel. Bottle Tested The bottles tested for aroma and flavour were: Bottle Material Bottle Size High density polyethylene (HDPE) copolymer 1 Gallon Enviroclear® copolymer 1 Gallon Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) 1 Gallon HDPE homopolymer 1 Gallon Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 1 Quart Results Storage at Room Temp. For bottles of water stored at room temperature, the aroma and flavour test results were: Bottle Material Aroma Flavour Total Impact Character Notes Total Impact Character Notes HDPE Copolymer 1.0 Musty Gravel Citrus 1.0 Sweet Burnt Poly Throat Catch Plastic Enviroclear® Copolymer 1.0 Musty Soil/Gravel Fruity Citrus 1.0 Cotton Candy Fruity Throat Catch Plastic PVC 1.5 Musty Soil/Gravel Sour Old, wet rags 1.5 Plastic Waxy, Musty Throat Catch Sour, Briny HDPE Homopolymer 1.5 Fruity Sweet Alcohol Musty 1.5 Solvent Sweet, Rye Throat Catch Stale PET 2.0 Fruity Candy Musty Wax 2.5 Waxy Burnt Poly Throat Catch Bitter Glass (control) 1.0 Musty Gravel Citrus 1.0 Gravel Plastic Results for Storage at 45°C For bottles of water stored at 45 degrees centigrade, the aroma and flavour test results were: Bottle Material Flavour Measured Organic Concentration Total Impact Character Notes Total Impact Character Notes HDPE Copolymer 2.0 Burnt Poly Smokey 2.0 Burnt Poly Plastic Throat Catch 5.3 ng/ml Enviroclear® Copolymer 1.0 Dusty Pool Water 0.5 Sour Throat Catch 1.0 ng/ml PVC 1.5 Sour Plastic Pool Water 1.0 Fishy Pool Water Stale 1.5 ng/ml HDPE Homopolymer 1.0 Dusty Pool Water 1.5 Pool Water 0.6 ng/ml PET 2.0 Sweet Solventy 2.0 Sweet Solventy Plastic Throat Catch 7.7 ng/ml Glass (control) 0.5 Clean Water Pool Water 0.5 Gravel Plastic Observations The control suggests the following character notes to be common to the water used for the tests, which was commercial brand bottled water from a five gallon polycarbonate container: Aroma Flavour Musty Gravel Citrus Pool Water Gravel Plastic Throat Catch The Enviroclear® copolymer bottle had the least difference from the control in aroma and flavour of the five polymer bottles evaluated. << Go back to Articles