How Oxygen Absorbers Can Help with Keeping Edibles Fresh
It is most likely that you’ve seen small packets of oxygen absorbers inside the packaging of food at a grocery store. Usually, they’re white but can come in some other colors as well.
In this blog, you will find out what oxygen absorbers are, how they work, and how to use them correctly for preserving food.
What are Oxygen Absorbers
The little packets of oxygen absorbers are filled with iron powder and some salt. This iron powder absorbs almost all the oxygen around when kept in a sealed environment. Food degradation is usually the result of the oxidization process. Once the oxygen is absorbed from the environment, the atmospheric gases left behind are entirely inert and don’t cause food degradation.
How do They Work?
When little packets of oxygen absorbers are taken out of their sealed containers, the oxygen from the air starts to react with the iron powder inside oxygen absorbers to form iron oxide.
If you place enough packets in a sealed container such as a bag or a jar, they will react with almost all the oxygen inside. The reaction will stop automatically once all the oxygen inside the sealed container is consumed.
The remainder of atmospheric gases- mostly nitrogen- will turn out to be ideal for preserving food. Placing oxygen absorbers not just keeps your food from getting rancid but also keeps insects and bugs out.
The packaging material of oxygen absorbers allows air and moisture to pass through. However, keep the iron powder secured inside. This allows you to place oxygen absorbers directly in contact with your food without worrying about food contamination.
Oxygen absorbers get heated up while absorbing oxygen – if you were to touch one while it’s doing its thing, you would find it to be warm to touch. Oxygen absorbers use the exact chemical reaction that is used by disposable hand warmers. It usually takes around 4 hours for oxygen absorbers to remove oxygen from a sealed container.
How to Use Oxygen Absorbers
Filename: food-inside-airtight-containers
Alt-Text: Food inside airtight containers
Following is a step-by-step process to guide you on how to use oxygen absorbers.
- Determine the number of oxygen absorber packets that will be adequate for the container you want to use them in.
- Place your food carefully inside the container
- Open the packaging of oxygen absorbers and place them inside the food container. Close the food container and the packaging of oxygen absorbers with leftover oxygen absorbers immediately after use. If the packaging of oxygen absorbers isn’t resealable, make sure to keep them in a sealed container too, or else they will get used up in the open atmosphere.
- Store the container containing oxygen absorbers in a dry and dark place.
Oxygen absorbers are great in preserving food. However, finding high-quality oxygen absorbers at an affordable price can be tricky. As a premier manufacturer and supplier of industrial absorbents and desiccants, Sorbead India provides premium-quality oxygen absorber packets, molecular sieves, and activated alumina online.
Get in touch with us or visit our website to learn more about the company.
