Knowledge / Testing and the packing process
ISTA and AFNOR: Understanding Temperature Profiles
A temperature profile defines the ambient temperatures to which packaging is exposed during testing and for how long. Passing a test demonstrates the performance of the documented configuration under those conditions. For your selection, the profile, payload and duration must match the shipment. ISTA certification requires more than simply using an ISTA profile.
Practical guidance
Understand what an ISTA or AFNOR test demonstrates and which information you need to compare two test reports.
Preparing thermal packaging for a temperature test. The profile, payload and sensor locations are defined in the test plan.
In this guide
- ISTA 7E: temperature profiles; Standard 20: the qualification process
- What to check in an older ISTA 7D report
- Which standard an “AFNOR test” refers to
- Four claims to distinguish in a quotation
- Why the same mean temperature does not mean the same challenge
- Cross-check this information in both test reports
- Compare the test profile with your transport lane
ISTA 7E: temperature profiles; Standard 20: the qualification process
ISTA 7E contains hot and cold profiles for thermal packaging in parcel shipping. They were developed from transport data. ISTA Standard 20 describes the broader development and qualification process for insulated shipping containers.
Using a 7E profile alone does not constitute ISTA certification. Additional requirements and a separate procedure apply. If a system is offered as ISTA-certified, request evidence for the specific configuration.
What to check in an older ISTA 7D report
ISTA 7D continues to be mentioned in older packaging documentation. Do not equate such testing with 7E. Ask to see the profile, document edition and test configuration.
An older report may remain useful if the tested configuration is unchanged and conditions match the current application. For a new test, specify the procedure, edition and reason for selection in the test brief. The article on qualifying thermal packaging explains the documentation.
Which standard an “AFNOR test” refers to
AFNOR is the French standardisation organisation. NF S99-700 is a French national standard for thermal testing of self-contained temperature-maintaining packaging for healthcare products. In the AFNOR catalogue reviewed, the June 2022 edition is listed as current; it replaces the 2007 edition.
The claim “tested to AFNOR” should therefore be accompanied by the standard edition, profile and scope of testing. A thermal test does not automatically demonstrate protection against impact or compression, or suitability for reuse.
The comparison of active and passive cooling considers whether this type of passive packaging suits the transport process.
Four claims to distinguish in a quotation
| Claim | What it means and what still needs checking |
|---|---|
| Tested with an ISTA 7E profile | The named temperature profile was used. Configuration, evaluation and certification status must also be described. |
| ISTA-certified | Check the certification evidence, its scope and the associated packaging configuration. |
| Thermally qualified | The specified configuration meets defined temperature criteria under documented conditions. These must match your application. |
| Mechanically suitable | Protection against the intended stresses, such as impact and compression, has been demonstrated. A temperature test alone does not answer this question. |
When comparing quotations, identify which report supports each claim. The public ISTA overview explains, in particular, the difference between using a profile and certification.
Source: ISTA: 7E – public overview.
Why the same mean temperature does not mean the same challenge
A short hot stage and a longer moderately warm stage can produce the same mean temperature. They can nevertheless affect the packaging differently. Sequence also matters: a later hot stage may encounter packs that have already partly melted.
Degree-hours combine temperature difference and duration. Worked example: a 5 kelvin difference over two hours gives 10 K·h. This is not a quantity of heat in joules. Calculating that would additionally require, among other things, heat transfer and geometry to be known. Warm and cold stages must not simply be offset against each other either.
A similar summary value alone does not establish that two complete temperature profiles are equivalent for the same shipper.
Cross-check this information in both test reports
- Procedure, edition, profile name and test duration.
- Permitted product range and acceptance criteria.
- Shipper, cooling element type and quantity, preparation and arrangement.
- Payload, initial temperatures and sensor locations.
- Repetitions, deviations and limits of the demonstrated use.
Two claims such as “96 hours” can be interpreted only alongside these conditions. The packaging selection guide shows how to record missing evidence when comparing quotations.
Compare the test profile with your transport lane
Compare the ambient profile with measurements and processes from your transport lane. Additional storage, different seasons or longer waits may require supplementary assessment.
Weather data alone do not show the temperature inside a vehicle, on a sunlit surface or in a handling warehouse. If you develop your own profile, these conditions must be incorporated traceably. A tailored profile is not automatically more demanding than a standard profile; it represents a specifically described transport task.
Sources
- ISTA: Thermal Standards – 7E and Standard 20. Official explanation of 7E profiles, Standard 20 and the certification procedure.
- AFNOR: NF S99-700, June 2022 edition (French). Public standards catalogue: scope and June 2022 edition. The complete standard is available separately.
- ISTA: 7E – public overview. Public overview of 7E; it does not replace the applicable complete standard.
- WHO: Transport route profiling qualification, Supplement 14 (2015). Sections 2.2–2.6: recording transport conditions and developing or comparing test profiles.
Sources checked on 12 September 2026.
Plan a temperature test with THERMOCON
Bring test reports and available temperature data for your transport lane. Engineering can use them to establish which conditions have already been tested and where additional testing is needed.