Are Oxygen Absorbers Safe for Food? Are They Reusable After Opening?

Food items in general have a certain shelf life where they are the most potent and edible. But, they need to be efficiently stored throughout their shelf life so they retain their freshness, quality, and nutrition. They are highly prone to spoilage and damage due to the varying storage and package conditions for extended time. So, using Oxygen absorbers with food packaging can greatly improve and maintain the quality of food packaging throughout its shelf life. But can these absorbers be safely used in food packaging or with close contact with food items? And can they be reused after opening? In this blog, we will see how the use of oxygen absorbers can effectively safeguard your food storage and packaging from detrimental factors of excess oxygen.

Safety of Oxygen Absorbers for Food

Oxygen absorbers are very safe for use in food storage and play an important role in preserving the quality and potency of various food items, especially during the storage and packaging throughout their shelf life. These small packets, are typically filled with iron powder and salt, and can effectively remove excess oxygen from sealed containers. This is important to maintain the quality and freshness of food items, and avoid spoilage.

This process prevents any oxidation from forming inside the packaging of the food items, which can lead to spoilage, loss of flavor, and nutrient degradation, which are all common in the presence of excess oxygen in the surroundings. Oxygen absorbers do not release any harmful gases into stored food and are non-toxic, making them a safe choice for preserving items like dried fruits, cereals, snacks, sweet boxes, dried herbs, pulses, grains, organic foods, and meats.

The packets are safe to be used with food packaging and storage but should not be consumed or tamper with its packaging. It is always advised to keep them away from children and pets. They can be placed in sealed containers with food to absorb oxygen efficiently. Once the absorbers are no longer effective, which is usually indicated by a turn to hard or texture, they should be discarded properly.

Benefits of Using Oxygen Absorbers

There are many benefits of using Oxysorb packets in food packaging and storage.

Provide an extended shelf life: Oxygen absorbers can effectively reduce the excess oxygen levels inside sealed packaging of food items, which helps to extend the shelf life of various foods and packaged food items. By absorbing up to 90% of the oxygen present inside the packaging, they can efficiently slow down spoilage and maintain proper freshness, texture, quality, and flavour.

Efficiently maintained food quality: These absorber packets can greatly help preserve the color, texture, and flavor of the packaged foods and food items. By preventing oxidation, they keep foods like dried fruits, snacks, and meats from losing their quality over time inside the packaging or long term storage.

Proper prevention of mold/mildew growth: Maintaining and keeping proper levels of Oxygen is a key factor in preventing any mold development inside the food packaging. By removing excess oxygen from the packaging, and maintaining proper levels, these absorber packets can stop mold and bacteria growth, ensuring that food stays safe to eat for longer periods.

Affordable, cost-effective food packaging solution: Oxygen absorbers are relatively inexpensive when compared to other food and food item preservation methods. They can effectively provide a cost-effective way to enhance your food storage without needing any harsh chemical preservatives, or heavy packaging needs, and are non-toxic and inert in nature.

Sustainable and environmentally friendly: Oxygen absorbers contain non-toxic materials like iron powder, and are also packaged in safe outer packaging materials, making them safe with food contact. They can also be disposed off properly and easily without any further special requirements, along with eco-friendly practices in food storage.

Reusability of Oxygen Absorbers

Oxygen absorbers are designed for single use because they have a limited capacity to absorb oxygen. Once they have absorbed the maximum amount, they become ineffective and cannot remove any more oxygen from the packaging. This means that if you try to reuse them, they will not protect your food properly, leading to spoilage and loss of quality during storage, packaging, or transportation of food products and items.

It is important and essential to use new oxygen absorber packets for each packaging to maintain efficient and proper food freshness. The use of fresh absorber packets ensures that the oxygen level inside the food packaging is reduced effectively as well as maintained at optimal levels throughout storage. This in turn helps prevent oxidation, mold growth, and nutrient loss in the packaged food items and packaging.

If old or used absorbers are placed in new packaging, you risk exposing your food to harmful oxygen levels, which can compromise its safety, quality, potency, freshness, texture, and taste. Also, once an oxygen absorber is opened or exposed to air, it starts to absorb oxygen immediately, which makes it less efficient for future use.

It is best to use new oxygen absorbers designed for your specific food items to get the best results in food preservation. This helps keep your stored foods fresh, tasty, and safe to eat for a longer time.