Formulating an O2 Barrier - Compatible Masterbatch for Food Packaging
My name is Steve Osmian, and I’m the Director of Sales for Thermoplastics at Penn Color. Every day, I work with food and beverage brands that are constantly looking for ways to win in increasingly crowded marketplaces. One thing they all have in common is the need for packaging that stands out on the shelf. That’s why their design teams focus so intently on brand and product equity through color, material and finish. Nothing beats an iconic color to make a product instantly recognizable - studies show that 80% of consumers identify brands primarily by their colors.
About a year ago, I was approached by a global consumer brand preparing to relaunch one of their flagship food products in an injection stretch blow molded PET bottle. As part of the packaging development, the brand’s team had started with color design and used a legacy masterbatch to deliver a highly chromatic red. With aesthetics addressed, they turned their attention to the package’s functional requirements. The product is vulnerable to natural degradation - specifically, discoloration and off-taste due to light and oxygen exposure. To extend shelf life and ensure a consistent, high-quality consumer experience, they needed a packaging solution that would prevent both light and oxygen ingress. The light issue was already solved by designing an opaque package. For oxygen, they incorporated a scavenger additive that reacts with and neutralizes oxygen before it can reach the contents of the bottle.
The team believed they had developed a package that met both visual and performance needs. However, during final validation, the packaging failed the shelf-life tests. The product was at risk of spoilage, posing a major threat to the re-launch and the brand’s reputation. That’s when they came to me, looking for a solution to get the project back on track.
We quickly invited the development team to our Innovation Center for an Integrated Spring Design session. Together, we examined the root cause of the failure and aligned on a path forward. It became clear that the original red masterbatch was inhibiting the oxygen scavenger’s performance. Certain pigments - particularly some reds and yellows - can disrupt the scavenger’s chemical reaction, limiting their compatibility in barrier packaging. With this insight, the team began a series of fast, focused design iterations. The challenge was significant: reformulate a masterbatch that maintained the original color intent, met the required O₂ barrier performance, remained a drop-in for manufacturing, and did not increase costs.
Through collaborative problem-solving and agile development, we achieved all the project goals. The final solution preserved the brand’s desired shelf presence, enabled the necessary shelf-life extension, and maintained cost parity.
This case highlights Penn Color’s ability to merge deep technical knowledge with design-driven thinking. Whether it’s ensuring color accuracy, functional performance, or operational simplicity, we help brands create packaging that makes an impact from the store shelf to the consumer’s home - visually striking, functionally sound, and always aligned with brand equity.
