Benefits Of Using Oxygen Absorbers As Packaging Solution For Sweet Packaging
Did you know you can extend the shelf life of your sweets and confectioneries, keep them fresh and flavorful for longer durations, also protect them from any spoilage during transit or storage? This feat is achieved when you use oxygen absorbers for packaging solution for sweet packaging. These small packets of sorbents can effectively remove oxygen from the packaging, creating an anaerobic environment that can arrest the growth of any microorganisms, leading to spoilage.
Now who doesn’t love sweets? The sweetness of candies, sweets, confectionaries are appealing to all ages, and thus, to enjoy a high-quality sweet confectionary, you need to make sure the contents of the packaging are safe, fresh, and healthy. When you use oxygen absorbers for sweets, it can help with long-term food storage, without the harm of food spoilage and the growth of microorganisms.
They also help keep the food's aroma intact in the types of packaging for several days. Many studies and results have shown the adverse effects of oxygen on sweet storage and can lead to the deterioration or spoilage of sweets faster when the contents come in contact with oxygen. Even for other types of sweet packaging solutions like the packaging of jaggery/jaggery powder, any excess oxygen can harm and spoil the quality, taste, and color of the contents, thus oxygen absorbers can help.
If you put an oxygen absorber in a container with food, it'll react with the oxygen and turn into rust, due to its iron powder content. This means the oxygen will be sucked out of the container and an anaerobic environment will be formed in the encasing and product packaging. Oxygen absorbers are tiny packets of iron powder that you put in a container.
In sweets packaging, oxygen absorbers can help extend the shelf life of sweets by up to 50%. They can also help prevent any contamination of the oils/fats contained in sweets. Lower levels of oxygen in sweets packaging can also help with any kind of decay caused by insects that may be formed due to longer food storage times.
When there's no oxygen in the sugar/sweets, it slows down the process of oxidation, which is basically a chemical reaction that causes the fats and oils in the sugar to go bad. It can also change the color, taste, and texture of the sugar content in the sweets food. The use of oxygen absorbers in such packaging helps keep the sugar fresh and in top quality by stopping or slowing down these chemical reactions of oxidation. This can keep the freshness in sweets packaging intact for very long periods of time.
Why are oxygen absorbers preferred over other food packaging desiccants and products?
Oxygen is the main source of fermentation in food, which is the main cause of spoilage and food degradation in sweet boxes. Desiccants, on the other hand, are mainly responsible for absorbing moisture, which may be important in certain situations like in the packaging of electronics or dry items.
Oxygen absorbers, however, are very specifically designed to remove any oxygen content present in the packets that causes spoilage, such as oxidation, rind, and spoilage-causing microorganisms.
By removing the oxygen element from the packets, you can preserve the flavor, texture, and full nutritional value of packaged foods. That’s why oxygen absorbers are the best choice for keeping your food fresh and high-quality over other forms of adsorbents and dessiccants in sweets packaging.
Some Do’s and Don’ts when using Oxygen absorbers in sweets packaging
To help you understand the uses of oxygen absorbers in sweets packaging, let us see some of the easy-to-follow dos and don’ts rules that will help you use them efficiently.
Do’s:
- Always make sure to use oxygen absorbers that are specifically designed for use in food packaging only and safe to use as per food industry standards.
- Depending on the size of your container and how long you want your sweets and confectionaries to last, figure out the amount of oxygen absorbers you'll need for your sweets packaging.
- Fill and place the container with the oxygen absorbers and make sure to close it up tight. Make sure the seal is airtight to make sure no moisture or oxygen can get it before sealing.
- You need to make sure to eliminate and discard any activated oxygen absorbers. This can compromise your sweets quality, and do more harm than good.
- You need to store unused and extra oxygen absorbers in a cool, dry place, so you can use them later.
Don’ts:
- Oxygen absorbers should never be used in open or damaged sweets packaging. This defies their purpose and they cannot perform efficiently due to excess oxygen or moisture content in damaged packaging.
- Make sure not to use oxygen absorbers in combination with other methods of sweets packaging such as vacuum seals for packages, etc.
- Don’t forget that oxygen absorbers can only get rid of oxygen from the package. They can't get rid of moisture. If there's a lot of moisture in the sweets, you might need to use a dry pack to help soak up the moisture in your sweets packaging.
- Also, remember that oxygen absorbers will not completely eliminate the risk of spoilage due to other packaging factors, such as temperature or light exposure, thus don’t consider this as a only foolproof way to prevent spoilage of sweets.
Many food safety experts recommend the use of oxygen absorbers as a packaging solution for sweets packaging, due to their high efficiency in withdrawing oxygen which may help preserve the sweetness, quality, and freshness for longer periods of time.