What Really Happens When Packaging Goes Through X Ray Scanners

When sending packages through air shipping, including, customs inspections, and warehouse security, your shipment has often traveled through more entry points than most people think about. X-ray scanners have become a regular part of the day-to-day shipping procedure. As a result, many companies and customers have a common question about how their packaging materials will react when being scanned by an X-ray.

It seems like the most commonly-held belief is that X-ray scans do not pass through thicker or metallic packaging. This is not true for several reasons; X-ray scanning is not the same as visible light. The way that the packaging material is affected by X-ray scanning is determined by a variety of factors such as density, number of layers, and type of material.

Mylar bags fall into this category due to their foil layers and barrier properties that are ideal for the storage of food, supplements, electronic devices, and regulated items. Due to their design, they are very effective in preventing moisture, oxygen, and light from leaving or entering their contents. However, the way that Mylar interacts with X-ray scanners differs greatly.

X-ray scanners have been designed to penetrate a variety of different materials, including plastic and thin metal materials. Although Mylar can contribute to softening the image that you see of the package, it will not prevent any scan system from detecting an object that is in the bag itself.

Most of the confusion regarding this topic originates from the World Wide Web, with claims that Mylar bags cannot be detected by an X-ray machine but instead, the truth lies somewhere in between. The amount of detection will depend on the type of scanner used and the construction of the Mylar bag itself.

To truly determine what the X-ray scan will reveal regarding Mylar materials, it is helpful to read a more definitive account of the subject, such as the article Are Mylar Bags X Ray Proof?, which will explain how X-ray scans will act upon the packaging materials as well as the packaging itself.