There are several types of packing when it comes to food packing such as tetra pack, nitrogen packing, vacuum packing, and many others. You want to know the difference between nitrogen packing and vacuum packing? To understand this we have to realise why we require packaging of materials.
Packaging is essential. Every day we take products out of their package. Think as simple as a sandwich, cheese, or chips. Almost everything comes packed. We give you 5 reasons why, especially for you as a retailer, a good package can make your product stand out.
1. Protection
Of course you want your customer to get home with or receive their products at home, undamaged and in great condition. The items must be packed weathertight and they should be able to take a little beating. The package must be tuned to the contents.
2. Keeping fresh
Keeping your product fresh or tenable (longer), can be done in many ways now a days. Shrink film, cooling packaging, oxygen free packaging, possibilities keep growing. Handing your customer their fresh fish in a cooler bag (especially on the local market day) is a great example of point 3, 4 and 5 as well.
3. Service
Even though people are used to it, offering a good package to your customer is a sign of good service. Whether you give your packaging away for free of you sell them, your customers expects to be offered an option to take their purchased items home.
4. Image
Your packaging is an extension of your overall image. When your image is one of luxury or maybe innovation, you can show this in your packaging in many great ways. Is your image one of low prices, an economical priced bag is a better fit to your image.
5. Publicity
By personalizing your packages, for example place your logo on it, your brand is much more visible in the streets. It’s a type of “free” advertisement when people, for instance, carry your bag around. Especially when you have a complex logo sign it’s advisable to create a positive recognition of your logo and brand.
Indians consume a lot of processed foods every day. They’re convenient and easy to transport and store. Processed foods need a lot of protection, from the processing plant to the grocery store, and to your kitchen. Plus, you may need to store them for a while before you use them.
Dry foods are usually packaged in bags and boxes. The key to long-term preservation is removing oxygen from the containers because the oxygen exposure causes the food to deteriorate. The fats will go rancid, discoloration of the food occurs, and the product spoils and goes to waste. There are two ways to accomplish this, either vacuum packaging or nitrogen flushing.
The first step in vacuum packaging is to get the food into a bag. Next, the bag is connected to a vacuum, and the air is removed, which of course, takes the oxygen along with it. The bag is sealed, and the product is ready to be labelled and shipped.
Regular vacuum packaging works fine for sturdy solid foods like fresh meat, but it doesn’t work well for foods that are delicate, like chips. These foods need protection during transportation so that they won’t be crushed or broken.
Nitrogen Flushing
When you pick up a bag of chips, you can hear and feel the chips banging around, and it seems like there’s much more air in the bag than actual chips. But it isn’t really like the air you breathe because the package doesn’t contain oxygen. All that ‘air’ is nitrogen gas.
Chip and snack bags are not filled with nitrogen gas just so they look bigger. The bags are designed that way to protect the delicate foods inside from both oxygen exposure and physical damage. The nitrogen replaces the oxygen in the bag, and it cushions and protects the contents.
And no worries about the nitrogen gas. It’s completely safe.3 In fact, you’re exposed to nitrogen constantly because it makes up about 70 percent of the air you breathe.
Nitrogen flushing is a method used to preserve and protect food from damage during shipping and storage. Nitrogen replaces the oxygen in a food storage bag, and it cushions the contents. Unlike oxygen, nitrogen doesn’t react with foods or affect the flavour or texture, so they stay fresher longer.
How It Works
First, the food is added to an open package, something like a plastic or mylar bag. Next, food manufacturers use machines that force the regular oxygen-rich air out of the bags and immediately fill them with nitrogen gas.4 Then, before the nitrogen has a chance to escape, a machine seals the bags tightly. The bags are placed in large boxes and shipped to grocery stores, convenience stores, and restaurants.
The nitrogen-filled packages help to protect the delicate foods inside for as long as the bag is sealed. Of course, once you open the bags, the nitrogen escapes and is replaced by regular air that’s about 20% oxygen. That means the food inside is no longer protected and will start to deteriorate and the oils or fats will start to go rancid. You can maintain some of the freshness by keeping the package closed with a twist tie or clip, or by placing the food in a resealable container and putting it in the fridge, but it’s best to consume the food products within a short time.
Food packaging has a direct impact on the shelf life of a product. Need expert assistance on shelf life studies? Contact us for a free consultation with Fogiene Sciences today.
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