A preliminary survey on the demand for oxygen and water vapor transmission rate testing of food packaging in the Philippines

Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) and Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR) testing are critical in evaluating the barrier performance of food packaging materials due to their influence on product shelf-life, safety, and quality. In the Philippines, access to such testing remains limited. This study presents a preliminary assessment of industry demand for OTR and WVTR testing based on a structured survey of 37 packaging-related companies, using descriptive statistics and Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn's post hoc test. The results revealed gaps between the desired and actual testing habits, frequency and sample volume, which indicates unmet demand for gas barrier testing. The gap was more particular among medium to large food manufacturers. Most companies conduct testing on an as-needed basis but has expressed interests in more frequent and extensive testing if it were made more accessible and affordable. Projected increases in production (37.0%), sales (35.8%), and local market expansion (34.2%) were reported by stakeholders should such testing become more readily available. These findings suggest that the unmet demand is driven by factors such as cost, accessibility, lead time, and awareness. The results also indicate an early or transitional stage of gas permeability adoption across the Philippine food industry. These highlights the need to enhance gas permeation testing infrastructure in the country. The results also underline the potential significance of local testing access to the growth of the Philippine food industry—especially in improving production capacity, market reach, and customer base. However, due to the study’s limited sample size and methodological constraints, further research is necessary to better quantify demand and guide strategic investment. This research provides a foundation for strengthening food packaging quality and sustainability in the Philippines through improved access to gas permeation testing.