Knowledge base
Definition:
a vacuum is a space in which the air pressure is significantly lower than the normal atmospheric pressure or in which virtually no particles (air or gas) are present. The fewer particles there are, the higher the vacuum.
Vacuum packaging:
vacuum packaging is film packaging from which the air is extracted during closure. The "vacuuming" process removes the oxygen and makes the food, industrial component or other product better storable with a longer shelf life, as well as giving it an attractive appearance for its resale.
The air inside a container or film is almost completely extracted by means of vacuuming so that hardly any oxygen remains in the bag. The container is then sealed airtight. Professional vacuum appliances in particular (vacuum chamber machines / chamber vacuums) achieve up to 99.9 % air removal. In this way, the shelf life of food in a vacuum bag can be extended and storage is much simpler. Vacuum packages can be stacked to save space, stored, cooled or frozen, depending on the contents.
AVacuum packaging is also a tried-and-tested packaging method in industry and businesses such as medical technology for fragile goods and small parts as well as products that are sensitive to oxygen and moisture. Vacuum films that are already sealed on one or more sides or side-sealed bags with a filling opening are usually used for this.
Food remains fresh for much longer in a vacuum. Our vacuum shelf life table shows a comparison of vacuumed foods with non-vacuumed foods. In addition, vacuumed foods are optimally protected against drying out, taste transmission and freezer burn. Marination in a vacuum saves time, protects the food to be grilled and provides for particularly intensive flavoring. Storage in a vacuum also possible; it saves space and is hygienic.
Sous vide cooking – cooking in a vacuum – is an absolute trend. Empty vacuum bags require very little storage space and are easy to store. Ready-cooked meals can be heated in a water bath or microwave oven directly in the vacuum bag. Hint: when using a microwave oven, carefully puncture the bag a couple of times.
Advantages of vacuum packaging:
- food keeps much longer (2-3x longer)
- storage is simplified
- less odor or taste transfer
- better appearance, better overview of the contents
- less freezer burn
- less weight loss
- marinades can penetrate better
- sous vide cooking is possible
- saving of space in the storeroom, attractive presentation of products for sale
- also suitable for pet foods, medical products or industrial components
The right choice of packaging is crucial in order not only to achieve the longest possible shelf life (vacuum shelf life table), but also to enable suitable transport protection or to create an appearance that is appealing to the customer.
In general, a distinction is made between two types of packaging: the classic vacuum packaging and packaging with protective gas, also known as MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging / MAP table), in which a product-specific gas is injected into the packaging after extracting the air. In the respective categories there are many different options, such as side-sealed bags, shrink bags, trays, skin packaging, etc., so that you can obtain the perfect packaging for your product.
A shrink bag is a vacuum bag with a special material composition. After vacuuming, this bag can be "shrunk" in a hot water bath or a shrink tunnel. The film then envelops the vacuumed product tightly. Shrink bags are extremely well suited for the sale of fully matured sausages, cold cuts, ham and hard cheeses.
Ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer is a material composition – in our case for shrink bags. EVOH serves as a barrier layer against oxygen, oils and fats as well as some solvents and thus protects flavor. The material composition also has good expansion and tear resistance properties.
When vacuuming cheese, the consistency of the cheese and the maturing process are of enormous importance. The shelf life of fully matured hard cheeses can be extended by several weeks with the aid of a stable and puncture-proof side-sealed vacuum bag by extracting the air. The shelf life of softer cheeses and liquids can be extended using the MAP process (MAP table) without squashing the cheese when vacuuming.
If liquids have to be sealed and packed, there are a few things to consider in order to achieve an outstanding shelf life and at the same time to avoid a big mess that would have to be cleaned up afterwards. The simplest way is to freeze the product – this enables you to pack the product with virtually any vacuum machine available on the market. If this is not possible or undesirable, however, the choice of the right vacuum machine (vacuum chamber machine, tray sealing machine or rollstock thermoformer) is crucial. This must have an evaporation point sensor with adjustable sensitivity (this must be set to sensitive when packaging liquids). This is the only way to guarantee constant quality and a smoothly flowing packaging process. Here too, as with all products, the cooler the product, the better the vacuum and the longer the associated shelf life.
Side-sealed bags are smooth vacuum bags that achieve an enormously high leak-tightness by welding shut and vacuuming. In these bags, the shelf life of meat, sausages, cold cuts and cheese, as well as medicines, industrial products, cosmetics and pet food is extended and the products are protected.
Side-sealed bags can be manufactured with one or two seams, or as three-edge vacuum bags, and are vacuumed and welded in industrial vacuum chamber machines.
Correctly sealed vacuum side-sealed bags can also be placed in hot water, for example in order to heat the contents again or for sous vide cooking.
Our 90 µm-thick side-seam bags have a usage temperature range from -50 to +90 °C. Semi-eco side-sealed bags have a temperature range from -25 °C to +95 °C (95 °C for max. 30 min.). Eco side-sealed bags have a temperature range from -25 to +90 °C (90 °C for max. 2 hours).
Our side-sealed bags are made of PP and are BPA-free.
Vacuum packaging is usually used for the sale of food to end consumers. The food has a high-quality appearance, can be stored well and is optimally protected.
However, vacuum packaging is also a good option for intermediate steps in cooking or in food processing and can be used in industry for spare parts, fragile components, parts at risk of oxidation and more.
One of the main purposes of vacuum-packaging food is the subsequent freezing. In this way the product is protected against freezer burn and changes in odor and taste. Most deep-frozen vacuum-packaged food has a shelf life of more than one year. Our vacuum shelf life table contains a wealth of information on the shelf lives of special food groups and individual foodstuffs.
Yes. Eco menu trays dispense with 85% of the plastic and use cardboard as the basis for the tray. Nevertheless, the thin plastic layer makes the trays liquid-tight and airtight, for which reason eco menu trays have the same vacuum protection properties as other vacuum menu trays. The plastic is easy to separate from the cardboard for recycling, thus closing the recycling loop.
Vacuumed food for sale, e.g. in butcher's shops, cheesemakers, farm shops, bakeries or in catering can be packed in shrink bags to give it an attractive appearance. To do this, the manufacturer only has one small additional work step in the shrink tunnel or water bath. For the consumer, this form of packaging offers an attractive appearance and a pleasant feel. Quality and appearance have a positive effect on the shelf life and loss of weight. The goods appear to be of higher quality, thus increasing the customer's trust.
On average, the shelf life of vacuumed food is 2 – 3 times longer than non-vacuumed food. This varies a little depending on the product selected. A vacuum shelf life table provides information about the shelf life of food in a vacuum in comparison with the shelf life of non-vacuumed food.
- Those who use vacuum as an intermediate step in their production can use vacuum boxes, which are cleaned after use and can be reused
- For sales it is mostly disposable: use recyclable vacuum bags with recycle certification
- Eco side-sealed bags use less plastic than conventional side-sealed bags, which saves on total plastic
- Vacuum menu trays with cardboard instead of plastic replace a large amount of the plastic with cardboard and can be separated again for recycling
More on sustainable packaging
Minced meat, fresh meat, sausages & cold cuts, cheese slices, ready-cooked menus, fresh cut vegetables or fruit, cake, cookies, Christmas cookies and much more.
Our side-sealed bags are BPA-free, boil-proof and can be used in the microwave. Before placing in the microwave, puncture a couple of small holes in the bag so that it doesn't balloon.
You can only achieve the most attractive result for your product with the best possible choice of bag size. For cost-effectiveness, the right size also offers the lowest costs for the individual product, but not across your entire product range. Therefore, care should be taken here that your bag assortment does not become so diverse that it is no longer easy to process and there are too few bags in each of the individual sizes.
Shrink bags can be produced with bottom or side seam, as well as loose or linked. The equation shown above will help you to choose the correct size.
Many soft and formable foodstuffs are either squashed when vacuuming or not enough air can be extracted to pack them safely. This is where the MAP process comes in. MAP means Modified Atmosphere Packaging – after vacuuming, the vacuum bag or MAP tray is injected with a protective gas tailored to the product. This significantly prolongs the shelf life of the food (MAP table).
All well-sealed side-sealed bags and smooth vacuum bags are suitable for sous-vide cooking. We recommend the sustainable semi-eco or eco side-sealed bags, but you can also use all other food- and water-compatible bags.
Shrink bags are suitable for vacuum chamber machines. Following vacuuming, the bag is shrunk in the shrink tunnel or by briefly immersing it in hot water.
Vacuum packaging is very well suited for marinating (meat or fish). The product is packed together with the marinade. Due to the vacuuming process, the marinade and the associated taste can penetrate the product much better and faster.
Our standard side-sealed bags have a thickness of 90 µm and are very stable as well as tear- and puncture-resistant. However, we recommend that you remove sharp-edged bone pieces before vacuuming.