Benefits Of Vacuum Packaging

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Vaccum-Packing: Vacuum-packing is a method of packaging that removes air from the package prior to sealing. It can involve both rigid and flexible types of packaging which stores the food in a vacuum environment, usually in an air-tight bag or bottle. The Intent of this environment is to deprive bacteria of the oxygen it needs for survival also reducing the loss of flavour from oxidation by preventing the evaporation of vital components. As well as limiting the growth of aerobic bacteria, reducing the atmospheric oxygen also helps to reduce the space taken up by the size of the contents and package and to extend the shelf life of foods, Depending on the product, the shelf life of vacuum packed foods can exceed 6-times normal bagged products. It is also commonly used to store dry foods over a long period of time, such as cereals, cured meats, cheese, smoked fish, coffee, and potato crisps. For Example, Beef can last up to six weeks if its refrigerated, and even longer when its frozen in the vaccum packed bag. Vacuum packing can also be used to store fresh foods, such as vegetables, meats, and liquids but this would only be more suitable for a short time period due to the fact it inhibits bacterial growth. When foods are frozen without being prepared, freezer burn can occur. this is when the surface of the food becomes dehydrated and leads to a dried, leathery appearance. Freezer burn ruins the flavor and the texture of any food product. Vacuum packing reduces the risk of freezer burn by preventing the food from being exposed to the cold and dry air. For fragile food items which could be damaged by the vacuum packing process such as potato crisps an alternative method is to replace the interior gas with nitrogen. This provides the ... ... middle of paper ... ...ed foods would require treatment such as boiling to make them palatable before serving. Common styles of smoking would include hot smoking, pit barbecuing and cold smoking. Pit barbecuing and hot smoking cook the meat while cold smoking doesnt. If the meat is cold smoked, it must be quickly dried to limit the growth of bacteria. Conclusion: After going through and researching the preservation of foods and the various methods in which it can be accomplised in this assignment. I found details describing the processes of preserving, I have described the various methods used e.g salting, sugaring and smoking, etc. looking through each method and process detailing their various benifits, side effects, advantages and disadvantages all in the section above comparing them along the way as well as explaining the reason behind preserving process and the results of each method.

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