Vacuum Packaging

Packaging is a crucial aspect of the food processing process and plays a major role in preventing and minimizing waste in food supplies. Packaging helps to preserve world resources by preventing spoilage and waste of items and by safeguarding products until they fulfill their role. One of the methods of packaging or increasing the shelf life of food products is Vacuum Packaging. The product is placed in an airtight pack, the air is removed and the package is sealed. By removing air from around the product, the oxygen content in the packaging is decreased, thereby preventing spoilage microorganisms from growing and degrading the goods. The oxygen scarcity also lowers the spoilage due to oxidation which can leads to browning in apples and bananas.

- Shubhendra Singh

The combination of vacuum packaging, mild heat, and chilled storage, greatly helps in extending the shelf-life of products. This was the basis of sous-vide (a French word for ‘cooking under vacuum’) cooking as a method of manufacturing high-quality foods for restaurant use with a shelf life of 42 days when stored below 3°C. Since the original sous vide pasteurization concept was at 70°C for 40 min, the thermal process has changed, and the target procedure now stands at 90°C for 10 min.

An additional method is the “Cryovac” skin-type vacuum bag packaging, which permits a vacuum packaging that adheres entirely to plastic material and product: these bags are composed of shrinkable plastic which is immersed in a hot water for a few seconds at 90°C.

The wide range of applications of vacuum packaging goes from raw meat to ready-to-eat (RTE) products whereas Cryovac is suitable for Vienna sausages and cooked ham. Application of high temperature inactivates some of the on-surface microorganisms and are described as measurements of prolonged shelf life and close surface contact prevents the formation of wrinkles.

BENEFITS OF VACUUM PACKAGING