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Initial Scientific Review (ISR)

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Initial Scientific Review (ISR)

The Initial Scientific Review (ISR) report is a valuable tool for evaluating packaging accessibility. It estimates the percentage of the population that can safely and easily open and read your packaging using the Accessibility Rating. It also provides suggested modifications to improve the design and is easy-to-understand.

Key Features and Benefits

  • Accessibility Rating – Easy to understand and compare:
    • Use as an accessibility baseline for the redevelopment process
    • Benchmark designs against competitor products
    • Compare prototypes to make informed decisions
    • Evaluate different packaging formats against each other
    • Highlight improvements between old and new designs
  • User-Friendly Format: Two page layout is quick and simple to read and share within a business
  • Design Analysis:
    • Highlights key accessibility features and issues
    • Suggests design modifications for improvements when needed
  • Versatility: Ideal for packaging and simple products 

Variations of report:

Enables you to compare your products accessibility to another product, e.g. to a competitor’s product

Allows you to check design decisions along the development journey and make inform decisions

Key Features and Benefits of Certification:

 Approx. 3-6 weeks

  • 15 samples of each product being tested
  • Prototype samples can be less
  • Single product ISR: $3,190
  • Comparative CSR (2 products): $5,790
  • Prototype ISR: $3,190
  • Additional Products: $2,990 each

The ISR and its Accessibility Rating is also used in the health system foodservice by HealthShare NSW and HealthShare VIC to assess single served packaging’s accessibility via Arthritis Australia’s Packaging Accessibility Rating Database

If a supplier is required to submit Packaging Accessibility Ratings for multiple products in the same range, they may be eligible for testing at a reduced cost. Sufficiently Similar products must have preliminary testing conducted to see if they are significantly comparable to the main product being tested for the ISR.

Sufficiently Similar products should:

  • be the same type of packaging format
  • be the same size
  • be made of the same materials
  • have identical opening methods and forces
  • require the same tasks to access and use the product

There can be some differences in labelling, but factors such as legibility and font size must be similar so as to not result in a different Accessibility Rating.

The reason for testing every product on the database is to ensure that all products are thoroughly tested and there are no anomalies with product results.

Conditions: Only the Accessible Design Division can deem if a product is Sufficiently Similar. All products must have preliminary testing conducted before being deemed as such. A quote will be provided after preliminary testing has been conducted. Sufficiently Similar tested products must have their testing conducted at the same time as the primary product’s ISR.

ISR Sufficiently Similar cost: If a range of products are deemed Sufficiently Similar then the first product would have an ISR conducted at the usual rate of $3,190 (excluding GST) and each Sufficiently Similar product would have the Accessibility Rating extended to them for the rate of $350 per product (excluding GST).

  1. Supply 15 samples of each product that you would like tested (including any packaging with different labelling) to our office by courier to Level 2, 255 Broadway, Glebe NSW 2037. Please also provide a product spec sheet.
  2. Preliminary testing will be conducted on any potential Sufficiently Similar products. A quote will be provided. 
  3. Once a quote is approved, a contract will then be issued to you to be signed and returned to Arthritis Australia. 
  4. Testing will begin once the contract has been signed and will take between 3-6 weeks.
  5. Once testing is completed your ISR results will be released to you.
  6. An invoice will then be issued as quoted.

Packaging Accessibility Rating Database: Please identify if you wish to add your ISR results to the Packaging Accessibility Rating Database. If you wish to add this information to the database you will also need to supply the relevant ordering codes. This information will then be shared with foodservice purchasing organisations such as HealthShare NSW and HealthShare Victoria.

If you have any questions, call the Accessible Design Division team on (02) 9518 4441 or email us.  

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