One thing that always comes to our minds while buying a pack of potato chips is, are we buying the chips or a pack full of air? And the other thing that pops into our minds is why do potato chips get softened or rancid if the package is left open for some time?
Infusing packaging gas while packing the food helps in slowing down food deterioration and improves longevity effectively.
Understanding of Packaging Gas
Ambient air contains nearly 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and a little amount of moisture. When food products like potato chips are let open in the air, they absorb moisture and go soggy or stale rapidly. When reacted with unsaturated fatty acids present in the food, Oxygen causes stale, bad flavor of the food. Also, it is a challenge for food manufacturers to preserve the desired quality and increase the food product’s shelf life.
Using packaging gas renders an effective solution for food manufacturing and packaging industrialists. Packaging gas is infused in the package during, before or after the food is manufactured to prevent it from oxidation. Nitrogen is one of the most widely used gases in food products like bakery products, dry fruits snacks, processed meat products, etc.
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Nitrogen as a Packaging Gas
Nitrogen has gained so much popularity in the Food packaging industry that it is now also used in the brewery or coffee industries. In the brewery, it is used to make ‘nitro beer’, and in the coffee industry, it is used to make ‘nitro brew’ to give the final product richer taste.
Atmospheric air consists of 78% Nitrogen & 21% Oxygen. So, if food products remain in contact to atmospheric air, they may became stale. N2 is inert in its state; it does not react with the colour and taste of the food product. Infusing nitrogen in the food package eliminates the presence of oxygen and moisture. Hence, modifying the atmosphere of the package results in the best food quality and extended food life.
Using nitrogen in food packaging also helps preserve delicate food items inside the food package from getting crushed during transportation or handling.
The package should be sealed tightly to prevent the N2 from escaping. Once the package is open, the content is exposed to oxygen and air, resulting in oxidation and spoilage. Therefore, it is always advised to immediately consume the food products, infused with packaging gas, once the package is opened.
Is it safe to use nitrogen in food?
Before bringing it to industrial use, nitrogen has gone through numerous safety assessments. World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives has evaluated nitrogen’s safety and concluded that it is absolutely safe to use nitrogen when used in foods following Good Manufacturing Practices.
What is food-grade Nitrogen?
Food-grade nitrogen has high purity levels, i.e., 99% or more. It does not contain any impurities; therefore, it is highly suitable to be used in food products.
We, at MVS Engineering, hold leadership in manufacturing on-site Nitrogen generators. As our plants have a longer life than other generators, industrialists widely opt for our on-site plants.
One of the leading food manufacturers and packaging industrialists in Sonipat installed our Nitrogen plant of 100 Nm3/hr and is completely satisfied with its performance.
To know about MVS Nitrogen generators in detail, please reach out to us at sales@mvsengg.com.
