10 common foods packed with nitrogen

Nitrogen is very important for the food packaging industry because it can extend the shelf life of packaged food. The presence of oxygen in the packaging can cause mold to grow and deteriorate before its service life or expiration date. By removing existing oxygen and replacing it with nitrogen， food will remain fresh and safe for longer.

Which foods are packed with nitrogen?

Modified atmosphere packaging is very common in food industry. This is the process of removing oxygen from the package and replacing it with nitrogen. A good rule of thumb is that if food is packed in a sealed container， the gas inside is likely to be nitrogen rather than normal atmospheric air.

The following foods are usually packed with nitrogen:

Potato chips， popcorn， nuts and other snacks

Fresh meat

Prepackaged lunch meat

Salad mixture and lettuce bag

Pre cut apple and carrot strips

Bacon， smoked sausage and kilbassa

The wine bottle

Emergency rations

Berry

Frozen food

Nitrogen in food packaging

Nitrogen is used in food packaging because it can maintain the color， flavor and texture of products， prevent deterioration and extend the shelf life. In the case of potato chips and snacks， nitrogen also provides a filler to prevent the products inside from breaking into debris. If these same foods are packaged in air， they will soon start to change color， mold and go bad. Therefore， when you see a bag of lunch meat or a can of apple slices with broken seals， do not buy them. This is why supermarket employees need to remove and discard damaged packages.

Nitrogen vacuum packaging

Modified atmosphere packaging requires the use of vacuum. During the packaging process， food is put into containers. Then， use a vacuum to remove all oxygen. The package is then filled with nitrogen and sealed immediately. This process is usually used for items such as French fries， popcorn， pretzels and lunch meat.

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