Vacuum Heat Sealers
Vacuum Heat Sealers
The vacuum sealer removes the air from the bag to safely packages food, pharmaceutical goods and other materials. There are many different vacuum sealer machines on the market to suit a wide range of requirements and budgets. Vacuum sealers fall into two main categories:
- Internal or chamber vacuum sealers: with the bag inside the chamber the vacuum pump removes the air. Ideal for smaller, wet, dry or liquid products.
- External, nozzle or probe type vacuum sealers: ideal for larger plastic bags. These are more suitable for dry products but not for liquids.
Vacuum packing removes air or oxygen from the package prior to sealing. This involves placing the product in a plastic bag, removing air from the inside, and sealing the pack. The vacuum sealer removes oxygen to extend the shelf life of foods and/or reduce the size of the package.
Aerobic bacteria requires oxygen. Vacuum packing removes this oxygen from inside the bag to reduce the growth of bacteria, slowing down decay. Use a vacuum sealer for fresh or dried foods to extend shelf life for vegetables, meats, fish, nuts, cooked meat, cheese, coffee, and more.
Vacuum sealers are also used to prepare food for the French gourmet sous vide cooking method, where ingredients are vacuum sealed in a bag and cooked in hot water under controlled conditions.
Vacuum packing reduces the volume of non-food items, for example pillows, cushions, clothing and ink cartridges.
The level of vacuum can be controlled to prevent damage to delicate items like potato crisps. Oxygen can also be replaced with an inert gas like nitrogen in order to reduce exposure to bacteria.