Most parents are consumed by worry and often fret about the safety of their children around packaging materials, given how challenging it is to monitor their shenanigans constantly. 

Luckily, child-resistant packaging ensures that our kids stay safe from dangers such as choking and poisoning hazards World Health Organization and UNICEF recommended these materials have been lifesavers for new parents and households with children. 

If you look up child-safe packaging online, there are plenty of debates based on the research’s conclusion and the efficacy of these products. Today, we’ll be setting the facts straight in this blog that can ease your doubts regarding why child-resistant packaging is safe for use.

Read on to know more!

How Do Packages Get Certified as Child-Resistant?

To be certified as child-resistant, a packaging material must adhere to one of the following four compliance standards:

  • BS EN ISO 8317:2004- This is an international compliance standard that covers reclosable packaging for all contents.
  • BS EN 14375:2003- This European compliance standard covers non-reclosable packaging used for medicine.
  • BS EN 862:2005- This European compliance standard covers non-reclosable packaging used for non-medicine products.
  • 16 CFR 1700.20- This American regulation is set for both reclosable and non-reclosable packaging used in medicine and non-medicine products. Compliance with this regulation is compulsory in the United States and has also been enforced by many other nations.

Although these compliances may vary in their details, all of them have homogeneous regulations. These regulations are type-testing standards and not quality management tools, each consisting of two tests: A child test and an adult test.

Child Test

The child test requires the pack to be tested by up to 200 children between the age groups of 42 to 51 months. Every child is provided with a pack and instructed to open it. After five minutes, they are given a silent demonstration and then are encouraged to try opening the package again for the next five minutes. 

For the package to pass this test, 85% of the subjects must fail to open it before the silent demonstration, and 80% should fail after the demonstration.

Adult Test

The adult test recruits a group of 100 adults between the ages of 50 to 70. The ratio followed is 70% female, half of them evenly distributed between the ages 50 to 59, and the other half aged between 60 to 70 but not mandatorily distributed equally. 

After giving them some time to familiarize themselves with the package, 90% of the panel should be able to open and re-seal it within one minute or extract a single unit within one minute depending upon the kind of package (medical or non-medical) and the standard (international, EU, or the US). 

Conclusion:

Child-resistant packaging is a proven lifesaver concerning the prevention of less fatal but troublesome ingestion by kids. Over the last forty years, it has actively prevented child poisoning and thousands of trauma,s which may cause worry for all. These packages are trusted by regulatory officials across the globe, which means that you can sleep better at night knowing that they are reliable and tested well enough for you to rely on them freely while practicing reasonable caution.