Vacuum Packing Machine Buyer’s Guide

Vacuum packaging machines are used in all types of food and non-food packaging and stores. There are advanced features in vacuum packing technology. It removes air from the packages before sealing the containers. The vacuum helps eradicate air from it which helps preserve the quality of food and protect it for a longer time. Vacuum technology is applicable for foods like seafood, meat, cheese, nuts, aquatic products, pickles, snacks, fruits, vegetables, and other products. In this regard, you have to search the viability of this method before using it on any product range because it is not the universal method and is applied to all types of foods. Check it first, and then go for the vacuum method.

Vacuum packing technology was first developed in the 1940s by Dr. Karl Busch, and KANGBEITE Packing  Machine has a Busch pump as a core part that guarantees the productivity of machines. At first, it had small vacuum sealer machines. After 80 years, there is an amicable difference in the development of the machines that are more useful in home and industrial use. For households, they have developed tabletop vacuum sealers, which are useful in kitchens. Small food businesses have large chamber vacuum sealers, and for massive food industries, they have developed big and automatic vacuum packing machines.

For industrial usage, vacuum achiness is required, faster packing speed and up to the standards, and automatic grades. Specifications of machines are also given authentic for which type of food, whether it is frozen food, fresh food, dry food, food with liquor, food with as heel like lobsters, and fish fillets.

With advanced features, vacuum packing brings a revolution in the packing industry. It is a modern way of packing products in which it removes air from the container and empties it. After emptying the air, it then seals the package to sustain the vacuum status.

Vacuum packaging is used for all products, like food packaging, non-food products, laboratories, and warehouses. Generally, vacuum packaging applies to small food packagings, like plastic bags, jars, and plastic trays.

Vacuum packing machines are widely used in various products, ranging from foodstuff to hard wares, medicine to textiles, and chemicals. Due to having well-structured and well-operating machines, the benefits of vacuum packing are great in number.

Let’s understand how it can be beneficial in all domains? For that, check out these details.

In Foodstuffs

• Vacuum packing machines eradicate the growth of aerobic bacteria (which lives in the presence of oxygen). Hence, it removes the oxygen from the container so that no bacteria is left in it.
• It increases the shelf life of many food products.
• It locks the water in the package to remain fresh and don’t get molds on it.
• It prevents freezer burn in freezing storage.
• It keeps the original color of food by decreasing the oxygen rate of foodstuffs.

In Hardware And Chemicals

• Vacuum packing is mandatory for laboratory equipment and chemicals.
• Removing the oxygen and water access from the container inhibits chemicals and hardware from oxidation, rusting, and changing characters.

In Textiles

• It saves the space of warehouses and transportation to vehicles.
• It significantly reduces the product volume and ultra-compact packaging.
• It keeps the contamination of the product free and guarantees hygienic. It maintains the quality standards of textiles and easily takes it from factory to destination.
• It saves products from insect damages and keeps them dry.

In Medical Devices

• While transporting the medical devices, vacuum packaging isolates the products from bacterial and air contamination.
• It restores the quality of the product so that they remain safe and sound.

The vacuum packaging technique increases the shelf life of foodstuffs up to 2-5 times longer than any other packing method. It is a handy way to keep your food fresh and healthy. Some varieties of foodstuffs remain fresh in a vacuum package. Foods like fresh vegetables and fruits can’t sustain for so long in vacuum packaging directly. If you want to place them in vacuum packaging, first blanching, drying, or pickling them, then go for vacuum packaging.

The food products which can safely be vacuum-packed are;

• Seafood and fishes
• All kinds of meat (fresh meat, aged meat, and sausages)
• Vegetables
• Dried fruits
• Ready to eat meals
• Pasta and noodles
• Cheese
• Dried cereals, peanuts, and corn kernels

• The main reason for using a vacuum pack is to remove oxygen from the packages, and that’s why it inhibits the growth of aerobic bacteria. In some varieties of food, there are anaerobic bacteria present in it which does not kill in that environment; hence such bacteria live in food. Due to this reason, vacuum packing is not appropriate for them and is harmful to your health.

Foods in which C. botulinum, a type of food pathogen sustain, forms botulism. They don’t need air to grow and live without it. In such foods, vacuum packing is unsafe to use.

• When vacuum packaging is applied, some fresh vegetables and fruits emit a gas at the stage and remain in the container. When these products keep in a sealed bag, they start emitting that gas, which becomes the reason for spoiling the product. If you want to store these products, you should dry them first, balance their nature, and then go for vacuum packaging.
• Following are the products you should not vacuum package;
• Raw mushrooms
• Fresh cereals, corn kernels, and sunflower seeds are also included
• Garlic
• Cheeses and all its varieties
• Any food which is present in hot temperature at the moment
• Any fresh fruits and vegetables. For such foods, you can go for MAP modified atmosphere packaging

The food industry owners want to keep their food products safe and sound without getting stale in the factory. But that’s not compulsory that they always get the best out of it. Sometimes, certain batches of food products get worse after vacuum packaging. You can’t find out the actual reason behind it.

But there are some key points you should notice while vacuum packaging. Let’s find out what they are?

• Are they sterilized completely after vacuum packing? Check the retort.
• Are the procedures completed as designed? Have they boiled, cleaned, dried, or pickle well?
• Check out the quality of the material. It should be high-quality pouches and bags. They need to have high-barrier property.
• The working environment should be hygienic and free from any contamination.
• Check out the working of all packing machines. Make sure it removes all the air from the bags so that products remain safe and healthy. If you find out any problem, then fix it immediately.

Shelf life is a crucial aspect of vacuum packing machines. It is a concentrated point that requires much attention in-home usage, wholesale markets, and retailing markets. Many people asked about the shelf life of products with or without vacuum packing. They asked about the shelf life of food products in refrigerators and freezers too.

Below, we will provide you a list of the shelf life of all kinds of foods, which are according to every medium in which you are putting it. Stay hooked to know more about it.

Shelf Life Of Vacuum-packed Meat Products

We have a shelf life of beef/lamb meat, ground meat, pork, or poultry meat in this category. Let’s get the actual reading of the shelf life of these products.

Beef Or Lamb Meat

• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 24-36 months.
• Shelf life, not vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 4-6 months.
• Shelf life not vacuum packed, stored in a refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C): 2-4 days.
• Shelf life vacuum packed, stored in a refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C): 30-40 days.

Ground meat

• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 12 months.
• Shelf life, not vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 4 months.

Poultry

• Shelf life vacuum packed, stored in the refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C): 6-9 days.
• Shelf life not vacuum packed, stored in the refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C): 2-3 days.
• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 24-36 months.
• Shelf life, not vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 4-6 months.

Pork

• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C) : 14-21 days.
• Shelf life not vacuum packed, storage in refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C) : 3-7 days.
• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 24-36 months.
• Shelf life, not vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 4-6 months.

Shelf Life Of Vacuum-packed Fish And Seafood

Lobster and shrimps

• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 12-24 months.
• Shelf life, not vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 6-12 months.

Fish

• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C) : 4-5 days.
• Shelf life, not vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C) : 3-6 months.
• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 24 months.
• Shelf life not vacuum packed, storage in refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C) : 1-3 days.

Crab

• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 8-12 months.
• Shelf life, not vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 2 months.

Shelf Life Of Vacuum-packed Cheese

Soft cheese

• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C) : 13-15 days.
• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 4-8 months.
• Shelf life not vacuum packed, storage in refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C) : 5-7 days.

Hard cheese

• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C) : 40-60 days.
• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 4-8 months.
• Shelf life not vacuum packed, storage in refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C) : 15-20 days.

Shelf Life Of Vacuum-packed Fruits And Vegetables

• Shelf life, not vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 6-12 months.
• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 24-36 months.
• Shelf life not vacuum packed, storage in refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C) : 3-7 days.
• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C) : 10-25 days.

Shelf Life Of Bread, Cookies, And Pasta

Cooked pasta

• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C) : 8-12 days.
• Shelf life not vacuum packed, storage in refrigerator (+5/ -2 °C) : 2-3 days.

Bread and cookies

• Shelf life, not vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 2-3 months.
• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in the freezer (under -18 °C): 12-36 months.
• Shelf life, not vacuum packed, storage in room temperature: 2-3 days
• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in room temperature: 7-10 days

SHELF LIFE OF DRY BEANS AND CEREALS

• Shelf life, not vacuum packed, storage in room temperature: 6-12 months
• Shelf life vacuum packed, storage in room temperature: 12-24 months

Vacuum packing machines are useful for vacuum packing. There are many types of it, but we will highlight three types of vacuum machines and the way of using them. Let’s crack on with its working and types.

• External vacuum sealer

The external vacuum sealer is a type of vacuum machine in which, after removing the air and sealing the package, attaches it to the machines externally. Hence it has got this name.

The biggest reason for using this machine is that it is not limited to the sizes of packages. But there is one issue: its vacuum grade is not very high, which left the residual air in the container.

In this category, we have a tabletop vacuum sealer which is very popular in the daily usage of kitchen work. Food saver is a recognized company that provides the best tabletop vacuum sealer.

• Chamber vacuum sealer

It vacuums and seals the package into the chamber of the machine. Due to this machine, we can get the package free from any air left in the package. It is more reliable in terms of removing air from the package.

It has a high vacuum grade which makes it more applicable for all kinds of food products. Chamber vacuum sealer also maintains high hygienic standards. It lacks all great features in terms of sizes, but it can be resolved by an enlarged chamber that can be customized.

• Thermoforming vacuum packing machine

This machine gives an amazing output in terms of efficiency. It is an automatic machine, which provides all types of solutions related to the packing of products. There are some advanced components in thermoforming vacuum packing machines. It has a roll of bottom forming film and a roll of the upper sealing film. It can be operated by pre-heating a forming film that designed the containers in the mold of the chamber. Afterward, products are taken into a container which is a manual process, taken with the help of operators or by robots. Then films reach the sealing chamber and complete the process. The products reach a cutting system and then finally reach the next step with the help of belts.

The advantages of thermoforming vacuum machine are; its fully automatic processes and utmost output capacity. It is also a labor cost-saving vacuum machine.

Finopack packing machinery is one of the best companies for providing excellent services in packing products. A vacuum packing machine is one of the ranges. They are facilitating all kinds of packing under vacuum packing machines, and it is one of the well-known packaging lines of the company. Since the formation of Finopack company, they are giving solutions to our customers and guiding them efficiently. The packing machines are robust vacuum packing equipment made up of SUS304 stainless steel, and it is equipped with a BUSCH vacuum pump and solid quality equipment. Due to these factors, it provides smooth operation and gives the longest service for many years.

After understanding the importance of packing machines, the next important concern which should be considered very well is the material of packing used in vacuum machines. They are plastic pouches and thermoforming plastic films.

Plastic pouches; are used for vacuum sealing by an external vacuum sealer and a vacuum chamber sealer.

Plastic films; are mostly used in thermoforming vacuum packing machines, which might be printed or un-printed.

Be careful about the air and moisture permeability of plastic packaging materials because it changes by some factors that influence products. These factors are; film thickness, polymer molecular structure, temperature, and humidity.

The main aspect of vacuum packaging is to provide the desired environmental factors that increase product shelf life in packages. We can get such an ideal environment by keeping the concentration of all gases and components in a balanced way.

There are certain points you should bear in mind, and they are;

• Fat rich food requires plastic bags and plastic films with high oxygen barrier and oil barrier
• Vacuum packaging bags must have high barrier properties
• In addition, it must have high tensile strength, tear resistance, impact resistance, good chemical stability, and no chemical reaction with the food inside
• Dry food requires high moisture resistance of plastic bags and plastic films
• In addition, high-temperature resistance meets the requirements of high-temperature disinfection and low-temperature storage of various products.
• Therefore, when choosing plastic bags and plastic films, we also need to make the correct choice based on product characteristics. Only in this way can the quality of vacuum packaging be guaranteed.