In everyday life, we often see many vacuum-packed foods. The fact that vacuum packaging is so well-loved by consumers and food suppliers must mean it has outstanding benefits. Apart from extending the shelf life of food, do you know any other advantages of vacuum-packed foods? If you’re not very clear on this, continue reading this article., and you can learn more about the advantages of vacuum packaging.
What is vacuum packaging?
Vacuum packaging is a method of packaging that involves removing air from the package before sealing. The process of vacuum packaging can be divided into three steps. First, the items are placed into plastic film packaging; next, the internal air is removed; and finally, the package is sealed. Vacuum packaging is applicable in various industries, with the most widespread application in the food industry. Vacuum packaging can effectively slow down the speed of food spoilage and is especially suited for preserving and protecting perishable food items, such as meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. Besides the food industry, vacuum packaging is also used in other non-food sectors, including medical instruments, clothing, and electronic components.
What is the advantage of vacuum packaging your food?
Extend the shelf life of food
Extending the shelf life of food is the most significant advantage of vacuum packaging. Vacuum packaging reduces the oxidation process of food by keeping air out of the packaging bag. This slows the decay of food caused by bacteria and other microorganisms, extending its shelf life. The shelf life of vacuum-packaged food is 3-5 times longer than that of non-vacuum-packaged food.
Protect food to prevent freezer burn
When food is stored in the freezer without proper packaging, water molecules within the food can form ice crystals, leading to freezer burn. Vacuum sealing prevents this by keeping the food in an air-tight environment, maintaining its moisture and quality.
Preserves Nutritional Value
Vacuum packaging can retain the vitamin B and vitamin C originally contained in the food and preserve the nutritional value of the food to the greatest extent.
Isolate air to keep food fresh
Vacuum packaging acts like a protective barrier on the outside of food. It effectively prevents fatty acids in foods from becoming rancid, preventing them from discolouration and odours, and preventing them from forming a sticky film.
Eliminate mould and dirt contamination, ensuring food safety
Vacuum packaging exposes food to an oxygen-free or low-oxygen environment. Without oxygen, mould and bacteria cannot grow, thus effectively preventing food from deteriorating and ensuring food safety.
Improve food taste and texture
Vacuum packaging can preserve the original moisture, juice and flavour of the food. You won’t notice the difference in flavour.
Reduce food waste
We no longer have to throw away the unfinished meals every time. We can store it in vacuum packaging and make it our meals for the coming days.
Save storage space
Vacuum-packed food is smaller and takes up less space in the refrigerator or freezer. Label the outside of the bag so you can find the food you want at a glance.
Help you save money
Buy meat, poultry, or seafood in bulk when it’s on sale, portion it out, and seal it so you can have fresh meat for months to come. Compared with buying meat daily, this can save a lot of food shopping costs.
Save your cooking time
If you don’t have time to cook during the workday. Maybe you could try cooking all of the week’s meals on the weekends. Put together a week’s worth of meals, seal them in a vacuum bag and freeze them. When it’s time to eat, you only need to lightly heat and cook them, which is very convenient and fast.
Easy to store liquids, sauces, and food
There are also storage methods for liquid and sauce foods such as soup stock, tomato sauce, and pickles. Place the liquid and sauce in the refrigerator for a few hours to firm up slightly. Then put the frozen liquid and sauce into a sealed bag and vacuum-pack it, so that it will not deteriorate within 3 months.
Sous-vide Readiness
Vacuum packaging is ideal for sous vide cooking, a method where food is vacuum-sealed in a bag and then cooked to a precise temperature in a water bath. This technique ensures food is evenly cooked and retains its moisture, flavour, and nutrients.
Redefine your vacuum packaging rules with Linpack Packaging
Linapck provides you with the most professional vacuum packaging solutions to help you effectively extend the shelf life of your products and increase your production capacity.
We are more than just a machine supplier, we are your partner for sales growth. Our vacuum packaging machines save you production costs by reducing maintenance rates and reducing material waste. Contact us to discuss your packaging project with our vacuum packaging experts.
