Can any food be vacuum packaged?
The answer is no.
Vacuum packaging can extend the shelf life of almost all foods, which is 2-5 times longer than any other packaging method.
Keeping food fresh and healthy is very useful, but not all foods can be vacuum packaged, at least not simply thrown into vacuum bags and sealed.
Fresh vegetables and fruits cannot be directly vacuum packaged and require processing such as blanching, drying, or pickling.
Which foods can be vacuum packaged?
You can safely vacuum package most foods
Various meats (fresh meat, cooked meat, sausages, etc.)
Seafood and fish
Dried fruits
Vegetables (processed by blanching, drying, or pickling)
The prepared meals
Cheese (not all cheese can be vacuum packaged)
Noodles, noodles, etc
Dry grains, corn kernels, peanuts, etc.
Which food cannot be vacuum packaged, and why?
- Vacuum packaging involves extracting the air from the container, and most importantly, extracting oxygen to inhibit the growth of aerobic bacteria.
- But some foods contain anaerobic bacteria, which can grow in the absence of air. In vacuum packaging with reduced oxygen, these bacteria can grow and may pose a threat to your health.
- For example, Clostridium botulinum is a dangerous foodborne pathogen that can cause botulinum toxin poisoning, and it can grow without the need for air.
- In fact, in the absence of competition from other aerobic bacteria, unsafe vacuum sealing may actually create a more favorable environment for the development of botulism.
- Many fresh vegetables, fruits, and seeds emit a gas during storage, just like human respiration. If these products are stored in vacuum sealed bags, the emitted gas can cause them to deteriorate. To store these products correctly, you should first balance them or air dry them.
So don’t vacuum package these products:
Fresh cream, fresh corn kernels, sunflower seeds, etc
Raw mushrooms
garlic
Soft Cheese (Blue Cheese, Brie Cheese, Camembert Cheese, Italian Whey Cheese, and Other Unsterilized Soft Cheese)
Any food that is still in a high temperature state
Any fresh vegetables and fruits you need can be kept fresh for a few days without the need for frozen storage. The best packaging solution is MAP modified atmosphere packaging.