2 replies to this topic

[Abbi_FS]

Hi all,

The company I work for is in the R&D phase of a possible co-packing relationship. We are looking at using oxygen absorbers in small single-serve packs of food. (the company we would be co-packing Everywhere I have read, I see they need to be used or resealed in about 15 -30 min. I am wondering if you have any suggestions or information on how companies handle this window of time on a large manufacturing level. We have never used oxygen absorbers before, and this seems to be the last piece of the puzzle our R&D team is trying to work out. 

It seems there has to be a better way than our team opening oxygen absorber packs every 15 minutes down the line. 

 

Thank you for taking the time to read! 

-Abbi 

[jay2023]

I'm not sure, but i would get in touch with the packing machine manufacturer, or contact a company about a beef jerky packing machine and ask this question.

You might find demonstration videos of packing machines online too.

[G M]

There are both fast and slow acting oxygen absorbers, with slightly different chemistries.  The reality of their reactivity is a curve that is stretched more or less over time. 

 

We use some from Mitsubishi Chemical that will deplete the last bit of oxygen from a gas flushed package over the course of a few days -- reaching zero before the product leaves our custody.  Those rolls of absorbers are unsealed from a plastic bag and get used over the course of a few minutes to a couple hours, and retain enough of their capacity to get the job done even if we're well above our targets for headspace O2 concentration at pack time.

 

There is a bit of a balance between the oxygen concentration you will leave in the package when it is sealed, its headspace volume, and a few other factors.  You can probably talk with a consultant from the manufacturer to give you a better understanding of which capacity absorber will fit your needs.