When you've picked
up a bag of chips at the grocery store, you've probably noticed the bag is
puffed and filled with 'air.' But it's not exactly like the air we breathe the
package doesn't contain oxygen.
When processed
food is exposed to oxygen, it deteriorates - oils go rancid, discoloration
occurs and the food spoils. Oxygen can be removed from the packaging by
removing all of the air with a vacuum, which will increase the shelf life of
the food packed inside.
That’s why
nitrogen is used. Nitrogen flushing is a process whereby all the air is removed
from the bag and replaced with nitrogen gas. The nitrogen doesn’t affect the
taste of the food and doesn’t react with it like oxygen does, so the food stays
fresher longer. And, since the nitrogen gas fills up the bag, the contents
inside are protected during shipping.
