Atlas StoreLight to Simulate “Store Lighting”
Today, I would like to share with you the story behind the StoreLight™ filter. This optical filter represents a unique feature in lightfastness testing, available exclusively from Atlas. It is extensively used with SUNTEST and Beta+ FD accelerated weathering instruments for testing of FMCG's, consumer products, and packaging.
Before the StoreLight filter was introduced, light stability and shelf-life of beverage products were investigated in special test rooms. Acceptable, when you have space. However, compared with an accelerated light stability testing instrument, this setup is limited in flexibility and parameter control.
“White light” test room, courtesy of Döhler
Light Measurements Inside Stores Lead to StoreLight Filter
The development of the StoreLight filter started in early 2005 as a co-operation with Döhler, a global producer of technology-driven natural ingredients and solutions for the F&B industry. Comprehensive measurement inside supermarkets provided solid understanding of the light spectrum and intensity that products and packaging are exposed to on store shelves. The critical UV cut-on wavelength produced by white fluorescent bulbs was observed around 360 nm. Atlas took this knowledge and developed an optical filter for both xenon instruments Xenotest Beta+FD and SUNTEST. The spectrum of the new filter perfectly matched white fluorescent lighting for the 360 nm cut-on wavelength. Furthermore, the complete visible spectrum was simulation very well. The StoreLight filter was ready!
Spectrum of white fluorescent lighting compared to Atlas xenon with StoreLight
StoreLight - State-of-the-Art
Since its introduction, Atlas StoreLightTM has received worldwide attention, because it is truly a more realistic approach to simulate store lighting conditions, compared with e.g. window glass filters (cut-on ~315 nm). Today, many users regard StoreLight as their best available option, especially for accelerated shelf-life testing of new beverages, food, cosmetics, packaging, and other products.
More Information
Light stability and accelerated shelf-life testing using the StoreLight filter, especially in the Atlas SUNTEST, is described in:
For further information have a look into our online library, listen to recorded online seminars or review upcoming online and on-site educational classes.