As an inert gas, nitrogen can effectively inhibit the growth of most microorganisms, prevent food from oxidative deterioration, and is very suitable for food preservation. But the nitrogen here must be high-concentration nitrogen. If the nitrogen concentration is not enough, the effect of food preservation will not be achieved. Nitrogen can be stored in dewar cylinder, nitrogen gas cylinder and cryogenic tanks. Of course, in addition to the quality of nitrogen, the barrier and sealing properties of packaging materials will also affect the quality assurance effect. This article mainly discusses the purity of nitrogen packaging. First of all, there are many benefits of nitrogen packaging, specifically
1. Isolate oxygen to prevent food oxidation or microbial reproduction.
2. Nitrogen-filled packaging can prevent moisture and prevent food from deteriorating.
3. Nitrogen is colorless and odorless, and will not affect the taste and texture of the food itself.
4. It can resist the extrusion of internal food; it can solve the problem of food bumping during storage and transportation.
5. The acquisition of nitrogen is relatively cheap and cost-effective.
Ideally, if the cost of use is not considered, pure nitrogen is the most ideal for food preservation. But in fact, it is not necessary to produce pure nitrogen, and the cost of obtaining pure nitrogen is very high, so it is not realistic to use it in large quantities. At present, the more common practice is to use nitrogen with a purity greater than 99.9% to carry out food nitrogen preservation. This purity of nitrogen can better balance the cost of nitrogen use and the effect of food preservation. According to regulations, nitrogen filled into food packaging can be regarded as a food additive, but it is usually not marked on the ingredient list. This is because our country has regulations on food additives. When nitrogen is used as a processing aid in various food processing processes, it does not need to be labeled, and there is no limit on the residual amount. Therefore, when it is necessary to pack food with nitrogen, it is enough to choose nitrogen with a purity of more than 99.9%. It can not only ensure the freshness and taste of food, but also help sellers save nitrogen costs.