Setting standards for straws

Drinking straws have been around since the fourth millennium BC, when they were sometimes made from gold set with lapis lazuli. These days plastic straws are colourful, functional and ubiquitous. And now, for the first time they have their own International Standard.

ISO 18188:2016, Specification of polypropylene drinking straws, will provide general requirements for dimensions and performance properties of plastic straws, to help manufacturers produce consistent, quality products.

Straws have different shapes to suit different types of glass and drinks — from fruit juice in a carton, to a milkshake in a tumbler or a cocktail in a glass. ISO 18188 covers the entire range: straight, flexible, extendable, spoon-shaped intended for slushies, or with a sharp tip intended for insertion through film-sealed containers.

The standard specifies that the plastic must conform to the food contact requirements of the market. Plastic straws have to show their resistance to hot and cold temperatures and bend without rupture.

ISO 18188:2016 is available through the ISO Store.