Short description:

The program AKTS-SML Diffusion Software is a joint development of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (OFSP) and the company Advanced Kinetics and Technology Solutions AG (AKTS AG).

The verification of compliance of food packaging by the application of recognised diffusion model was introduced recently in the European legislation.

SML Software is a simulation program. It can be used to predict the amount of a substance (additive, contaminant or residual monomer) that migrates from a polymer packaging material into the contained food during a given time. This program is designed as a scientific tool for people active in food packaging: the material producer could check the compliance of a material with the SML values (comparison of Qm with SML), the laboratory specialist could use the calculated concentrations to design the experimental conditions of a migration test. It also includes a non-exhaustive list of starting substances (monomers and additives) used in the fabrication of polymer materials coming into contact with the food.

SML software focuses on the simulation of release of additives from multilayer packaging both in extended temperature ranges and under temperature conditions at which ordinary investigation would be very difficult. These difficulties are prevalent when temperature fluctuates during the observation time. Complex surrounding temperature profiles can be considered such as stepwise, modulated, shock and additionally for temperature profiles reflecting real atmospheric temperature changes (yearly temperature profiles of different climates with daily minimal and maximal fluctuations). Employing Finite Element Analysis (FEA), the modeling is extended to predict the amount of a substance (decomposition products, additive, contaminant or residual monomer) that migrates from a plastic packaging material into the wrapped food. The technique allows the simulation of complex packaging (different geometries and up to 10 multilayer films). Calculation of the diffusive process is based on Ficknulls law. It considers the Arrhenius equation and the last version of the Piringer model with refined Ap constant for the approximation of the diffusion coefficients [2,3]. Diffusion and concentration distribution inside all package layers can be computed for both, migrant leaving and food components entering packaging. The boundary conditions are derived from comparison of fluxes at the interface between the different layers and between the layer and the food. The mathematical approach used is unconditionally stable with the accuracy of a differencing scheme that is second-order in both space and time. Grid points are added in regions of high gradients to generate a denser mesh in that region, and subtracted from regions where the solution is decaying or flattening out. The generation of adaptive meshes allows to achieve a desired resolution in localized regions and decreases by orders of magnitudes the calculation time.
 
Privacy Policy
AKTS AG does not sell, trade or otherwise reveal contact information, such as addresses, phone numbers, affiliations, or payment information,  obtained from customers to third parties. We hold any information provided to us by clients with the utmost care and security, and will not use it in ways to which clients have not explicitly consented.

The SML Software which you install on your computer to simulate the release of additives from multilayer packaging generates reports pertaining to when designing the experimental conditions of a migration test. When saving a project, the information collected is encrypted and compressed into small files using a proprietary format. These measures ensure that information cannot be decoded by unauthorised users.

To start the program you need to have a running internet connection at that moment. AKTS AG operates secure access authorization  protected by industry standard firewall and password protection systems. Our security and privacy policies are periodically reviewed and enhanced as necessary and only authorized individuals have access to the software.  Strict controls are maintained at each login session to insure data is handled correctly and responsibly by authorized users only. You do not need a permanent internet connection to use SML Software. The internet connection is required for the login only  to check the authorizazion access and generate a session key for using the software. Once done the internet connection is no more required.