The Characteristics of Vacuum Bags are Important for Food Packaging
When choosing the vacuum bag, we must consider factors of the characteristics of food, packages, and environment, such as respiration, nutrition, heat resistance, light protection, anti-fragile ability, etc. to better keep fresh. There are many foods with living cells, so these foods must be kept breathing during the packaging and storage processes, such as fresh seafood, non-processed food, and so on.
1. The concept of breathing in the vacuum bag
Breathing is the most basic physiological function of fresh food (e.g. animal and plant foods) in packaging and storage. Food breathes through absorbing oxygen and emitting carbon dioxide. Normal respiration is a necessary condition to keep fresh and prolong the life of food in packaging and storage processes. The breathing intensity and oxygen supply can be control when the fresh foods are packed for better storage, like filling special gas and other means.
2. The breathing intensity and function of the vacuum bag
Breathing intensity refers to the strength or the speed of respiration. In general, it’s about the amount of oxygen consumed or carbon dioxide released by one kilogram of the live body (food, etc.) in one hour. Too much or too little breathing intensity of active food will affect the storage period. Factors related to respiration include the maturity of active food, the temperature of the storage environment, environment and gas composition in the package, etc.
3. The breathing forms and functions of the vacuum bag
The breathing forms of fresh food are divided into aerobic respiration and anaerobic (lack of oxygen) respiration, generally called aeration or vacuum treatment.
(1) Aerobic respiration
Aerobic respiration is breathing under aerobic-supply conditions, which is the normal form of respiration. But to achieve a long shelf life, its oxygen content must be controlled to an appropriately low level. The packaging measures are to use the packaging of oxygen and use the heat insulation (heat dissipation) or other functions of the package to reduce breathing volume.
(2) Anaerobic (lack of oxygen) respiration
Anaerobic (lack of oxygen) respiration is breathing in the absence of oxygen with very little energy. To obtain the energy to maintain its physiological activity, the fresh food can only decompose more respiratory matrix and consume more nutrients which may accelerate the aging and decay of the active food. In fact, respiration without oxygen is fermentation. Therefore, it should be avoided for better storage and packaging, or the relevant components could be added to the package to control fermentation.
4. The breathing requirements of food
Food breathing provides requirements for the breathability of packaging materials or containers, the temperature of the packaging and storage environment, and the gas composition. Different foods have different needs for the package, which is to use the package to control breathing actually.
(1) The rate of nutrient loss is different for foods during packaging and storage, but in general, with the increase of storage time, the loss is gradually accumulated.
(2) Lower temperature and illumination can reduce nutrient loss.
(3) Ideal packaging technology and good packaging materials (functional packaging materials) have the effect of reducing or supplementing nutrient loss.
(4) Adding the nutrients contained in the food to keep fresh is conducive to reducing the loss of nutrition and giving nutrition supplements.
(5) One of the purposes of packaging, which is the most important, is to preserve food's nutritional content (nutrient). The most ideal nutritional supplement packaging is to add nutritional ingredients in the packaging materials.
1. The concept of breathing in the vacuum bag
Breathing is the most basic physiological function of fresh food (e.g. animal and plant foods) in packaging and storage. Food breathes through absorbing oxygen and emitting carbon dioxide. Normal respiration is a necessary condition to keep fresh and prolong the life of food in packaging and storage processes. The breathing intensity and oxygen supply can be control when the fresh foods are packed for better storage, like filling special gas and other means.
2. The breathing intensity and function of the vacuum bag
Breathing intensity refers to the strength or the speed of respiration. In general, it’s about the amount of oxygen consumed or carbon dioxide released by one kilogram of the live body (food, etc.) in one hour. Too much or too little breathing intensity of active food will affect the storage period. Factors related to respiration include the maturity of active food, the temperature of the storage environment, environment and gas composition in the package, etc.
3. The breathing forms and functions of the vacuum bag
The breathing forms of fresh food are divided into aerobic respiration and anaerobic (lack of oxygen) respiration, generally called aeration or vacuum treatment.
(1) Aerobic respiration
Aerobic respiration is breathing under aerobic-supply conditions, which is the normal form of respiration. But to achieve a long shelf life, its oxygen content must be controlled to an appropriately low level. The packaging measures are to use the packaging of oxygen and use the heat insulation (heat dissipation) or other functions of the package to reduce breathing volume.
(2) Anaerobic (lack of oxygen) respiration
Anaerobic (lack of oxygen) respiration is breathing in the absence of oxygen with very little energy. To obtain the energy to maintain its physiological activity, the fresh food can only decompose more respiratory matrix and consume more nutrients which may accelerate the aging and decay of the active food. In fact, respiration without oxygen is fermentation. Therefore, it should be avoided for better storage and packaging, or the relevant components could be added to the package to control fermentation.
4. The breathing requirements of food
Food breathing provides requirements for the breathability of packaging materials or containers, the temperature of the packaging and storage environment, and the gas composition. Different foods have different needs for the package, which is to use the package to control breathing actually.
(1) The rate of nutrient loss is different for foods during packaging and storage, but in general, with the increase of storage time, the loss is gradually accumulated.
(2) Lower temperature and illumination can reduce nutrient loss.
(3) Ideal packaging technology and good packaging materials (functional packaging materials) have the effect of reducing or supplementing nutrient loss.
(4) Adding the nutrients contained in the food to keep fresh is conducive to reducing the loss of nutrition and giving nutrition supplements.
(5) One of the purposes of packaging, which is the most important, is to preserve food's nutritional content (nutrient). The most ideal nutritional supplement packaging is to add nutritional ingredients in the packaging materials.