Vacuum Sealing Food – Safety Guidelines To Seal Food Properly

Vacuum sealing that uses vacuum seal food bags has become popular in recent years due to its efficient sealing and effective food preservation. The sealing of food in vacuum food bags by removing the air creates a low oxygen environment. This, in turn, extends the shelf life, freshness, and taste of the food.

What is vacuum sealing?

Vacuum sealing is the process of reducing oxygen to create an anaerobic environment, which slows down the spoilage by limiting the growth of fungi and bacteria that thrive on oxygen and also prevent the evaporation of things. Vacuum sealing can also be used with other food packaging and processing techniques.

Safety guidelines for vacuum sealing food properly

When vacuum sealing food, there are certain guidelines that you must follow to ensure safe and healthy food.

• Keep the counters, utensils, and cutting boards clean and sterilized.
• Avoid cross-contamination of food. For example, use different cutting boards for meat and vegetables.
• Keep your hands clean; wash them before you start the process.
• Use spoons, forks, or tongs to handle food instead of using your hand.
• After packaging, label the vacuum seal food bags with the type of food and the date when food was packaged.
• Vacuum sealed food in vacuum food bags need to be placed in a fridge or a freezer.
• Dry foods can be kept at room temperature.
• Vacuum sealed food that contains low acid content needs to be frozen and consumed immediately after heating.
• Make sure the vacuum food bags are properly sealed.
• Check after 24 hours to ensure that the package is still sealed. If there is any sign of unsealing, then reseal the food in a new vacuum seal food bag if needed.

The bottom line

Vacuum sealed packaging is best for food that is frozen. When you want to use the frozen vacuum-sealed food, put the vacuum seal food bag in the fridge to thaw it to avoid the fast growth of microorganisms. If you follow all the steps mentioned above, then you can ensure that your food is clean and uncontaminated.

In this way, your food can remain safe in vacuum food bags. But if you think that there is something wrong with the food, then do not seal it. You will only be creating an unhygienic environment for the bacteria to thrive in.