What would you say is the most significant breakthrough in food preservation? Your answer would probably be: refrigeration. That is certainly true, but when it comes to the packing of fresh meat, vacuum packaging brought a revolution in food preservation when it was invented halfway through the 20th Century.
Thank to vacuum packaging, the shelf life of fresh meat can be extended, even without preservatives, so consumers get healthier products and waste less food.
The main advantage is obviously preservation, with vacuum extending the shelf life of fresh fish and meat considerably, while preserving its qualities like flavor, juiciness, shape and appearance. As a result, less food gets wasted and that means cost savings for businesses, restaurants, and families alike.
Organization of the food stock is another advantage, especially in restaurants. Vacuum bagging meat and fish allows to label the package to facilitate storage and organization.
Vacuum packaging can also prevent freeze burn, which happens if meat comes in direct contact with the ice inside a freezer.
Atlas Copco Vacuum pumps can help in sustainable food production. Our GHS VSD+ oil-sealed vacuum pumps helps the Tönnies Group achieve their sustainability and energy-efficiency goals at their state-of-the-art meat packaging center in Germany.
Fresh meat deteriorates faster because of pathogens, fungi, and bacteria that feed off the oxygen present in the atmosphere. A vacuum pump removes the oxygen from the packaged meat, so those micro-organisms stop living and multiplying.
During modified atmosphere packaging the ambient air is removed and replaced by a protective gas, such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide or even oxygen, but in a very high concentration, smothering aerobic microorganisms.
In the case of meat packaging, these high concentrations of oxygen enhance the color of red meat while preserving it. If you require a pump for oxygen reinjection, these are the features you should look for:
Our dry rotary screw pumps or claw pumps are ideal for modified atmosphere packaging, browse them all or talk to an expert for a bespoke solution.
30 September, 2022 - 30 September, 2022
The Tönnies Group is a family company that is active at several levels of the food industry. The family group is active around the world with its eight divisions of Meat Pork, Meat Beef, Convenience, Sausages, Ingredients, Logistics, International and Central Services. The Tönnies Group has 25 international offices and production locations in Germany and other countries.
