The food industry is a wide and huge one. Encompassing everything from simple sliced bread to elaborate meals. However, the key issue is keeping the food fresh enough between the facility and the table. While the basic conservation methods exist, they are not viable for all food. For example, using cans is a great way to keep items such as green peas and beans fresh for use even if the food sits on our shelf for a while.
Although if we used cans and preservatives found inside of them to maintain the freshness of a dry item we’d be ruining the initial intent of the item. Not to mention some food simply doesn’t respond well to methods used in this style of conservation. To preserve such items it’s necessary to employ different approaches to keeping them fresh. For this purpose, we usually utilize different forms of food packaging pouches.
The flexibility, heat resistance, and tightness of the seal are all variables that go into picking out proper packaging. Below, we will elaborate on some of the utilized food packaging pouches and their uses.
Zipper bags
These bags are great reusable bags that allow easy sealing and re-sealing of any food item that’s put into them. They can be used for anything and can maintain proper heat for the item. They are very cost-effective due to their ability to be used over and over, exceeding the utility of regular packing bags.
There is a huge number of variations on this simple concept, including stand-up pouches which provide a lot more stability than regular zipper bags. These are frequently used as a form of container for nuts and other dry snacks. When using standing pouch bags it becomes easier to take handfuls of treats without having to bother to stabilize them, just dig in whenever you feel like it. Click here to find out more about standing pouch bags. Lay-flat pouches take the opposite approach and allow you to lay the pouch down without the risk of it tilting to its side or spilling its contents.
If you need more sealing power then flange zipper bags may be just the thing for you. This item has interlocking sections on the brim of the pouch to create a firm sealing effect. The double-flange zippers trap even the smallest particles inside, they can be very useful for those items that require air to remain fresh. Similar in function is the ribbed zipper bag, where flanges are ribbed rather than flat yet provide similarly high-quality sealing power.
Slider bags
Moving onto slider bags we maintain the benefit of reusability while gaining a different approach to sealing capabilities. While flange and ribbed zipper bags overlap the two sides of the bag to create a proper sealing factor the slider bags utilize a different method. The slider bag’s sides connect inside of the slider and are joined through a simple act of pulling the slider over.
This adds to the convenience of the item whole maintaining great sealing properties. Of course, they also come in different variants. For a low profile, sleek style of slider pouches we have ergonomic slider pouches. This specific type of slider was made for hooded food pouches as these required added level of security during purchase to reassure buyers. The same goes for low-profile sliders, fitting neatly into the previous category and supporting hooded pouches.
Wicket bag
A wicket bag refers to any bag that has been stacked on top of a thin metal bar which serves as their support. The mouth of the bag is extremely tight, with the only source of interaction with the environment being through the small holes, punched into it for the sake of fitting the wicket. While their composition makes it more difficult to use them multiple times, they are very inexpensive. On top of that, what they lose in reusability they gain in speed of packaging. It’s very easy to just snatch one off of the wicket and stuff it full of food or any other item.
They are great for securing and packing just about anything. The variation of these bags is usually expressed in their size rather than the difference in design or materials used. The smaller ones are most frequent and can be used to store anything from ice to chicken fillets. The longer ones are most frequently used in maintaining the freshness of bread or stacking up multiple food items.
Barrier bags
In case you are looking for something exceptionally resistant look no further than barrier bags. In terms of durability, they are the most potent food pouches. The heavy-duty plastic used in its production gives it the puncture and smell-proof features.
These bags are often used for pet food as well, preventing the delicious smell from getting out and enticing your little companion to try and open it. Freshness is guaranteed with these items while durability makes sure outside factors aren’t a problem.
The barrier bag styles often include fusion with other bag types to produce something that has both proper durability and great sealing power. The first example of that are zip-top bags which combine the extreme durability of barrier bags and the great sealing power of zipper bags. The mouth of the bag can be easily zipped together to keep insides fresh.
For a more decorative approach, there are clear cone bags. They are usually used for preserving sweets and candy. Although these bags don’t offer the ability to seal them over and over they add to the display of candy such as marshmallows, sweet corn, gummies, and many other confectionaries.
Conclusion
Now you can be well-informed on the proper packaging both when packing something yourself or when interacting with already packaged items. The important thing to note is that each item of food requires different preservation features.
Some may require vacuum-tight bags, such as ones on vacuumsealerresearch.com, in which case you should find corresponding variants of the above-mentioned types that can form a vacuum inside of the bag or at least emulate some form of oxygen deprivation within the bag. No matter what, employing these bags will leave your food feeling fresh and delicious for longer.
