Introduction
Shelf life refers to the period a product can be stored without affecting its quality and making it unsuitable for use or consumption. Shelf life depends on the deterioration mechanism of the specific product. Mylar bags are a popular choice to extend the shelf life of the product. Mylar bags block all the light, gas, odor, and oxygen, which makes them perfect to extend the shelf life of products.
Mylar Bags
Mylar bags are used for storing food without deteriorating its quality and keeping the contents of food intact, it helps in increasing the shelf life of food. Mylar bags do not allow gases to pass through them as it is less permeable to all external factors. They do not let oxygen enter inside hence resulting in no bacteria growth.
Selecting the Right Mylar Bag
Getting food storage is worth the investment and what’s better than Mylar bags? You can buy Mylar bags in different sizes. The other noticeable thing while buying Mylar bags is their thickness.
Packaging
Many dry foods can be preserved for a very long period (for years) only if packaging is done perfectly such as wheat, white rice, rolled oats, pasta, dry beans, potato flakes, sugar, and freeze-dried foods. Some foods i.e., White flour, cornmeal, and bean flour do not have a very great shelf-life but they can be preserved in Mylar bags safely.
Labeling
Labeling food on Mylar bags will be a great help, they will help in determining what is inside the Mylar bag, and it will save a lot of time. Label before you put anything inside the pouch.
Adding Oxygen Absorber
Adding oxygen absorbers to your Mylar bag is a must as it will keep the food intact inside the Mylar bag and keeps the bacteria away. Oxygen absorbents should be added to the bag and bags should be sealed right away.
Sealing Mylar Bags
It is very important to seal Mylar bags quickly with a flat iron or a hair straightener, It is very quick and easy to seal the bags while the bag is standing up. You can even seal the bags while using the clothes iron but it will be a bit difficult to use it because it will be vertical and there will be high chances of food getting spilled.
Rodent Proof Container
Mylar bags should be stored in a rodent-proof container. One thing to remember is that Mylar pouches are not 100% rodent-proof. To extend the shelf life of your food place your filled Mylar bags into containers that are safe from rodents. Usually, gallon buckets or plastic stick totes are used. The tip to use rodent-proof containers is that Once the effect of oxygen absorbers has taken, the bags will become stiffer. It’s best to get bags into your larger container before that happens or leave them out resting flat, so they shrink flat versus standing.
Usage of Light
The containers have to be opaque and to extend the shelf life of food should be kept in opaque containers in a dark environment. Light can invigorate chemical reactions in food, which results in lowering nutritional content. Nutrients can be lost when food is stored incorrectly.
Reusability of Mylar Bags
Mylar bags are re-useable and this aspect of Mylar bag is an extra benefit, which makes it ideal for cost-effective benefits as well as long-term usage possibilities.
You can easily cut your Mylar pouches into smaller sizes make more bags out of them and be reusable. Conclusion
Mylar bags are definitely the preferable option if you want to extend the shelf life of your food. The other things about Mylar bags are their leakproofness, opacity, and ability to block light effectively.
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