Why Meats Are Often Vacuum Sealed

Historically, transporting fresh meat has been a source of frustration for cultures around the globe. Processes such as salting and drying change the flavor and texture. Wrapping in paper or loose-fitted coverings may protect the meat in the short term, but it won’t allow for long-lasting protection. Vacuum-sealing, however, offers many advantages in modern packaging.

Purpose

Properly packaging meats serves not only to protect the quality of the product but also the health and safety of the consumer. Dirt, bacteria, and parasites (such as insects) can get into meat that hasn’t been properly sealed. Toxic substances may alter the appearance or flavor of the meat, or even compromise the safety of it. Even allowing moisture into the meat can lead to spoilage or bacterial contamination. Vacuum sealing can also prevent damage to the product in the form of freezer burn or heat damage if the meat needs to be stored in a cold or hot environment.

What Can Vacuum Sealing Do?

Vacuum sealing creates a light, flexible barrier against many of these contaminants. It is lightweight, odorless, and it has no impact on the flavor or texture of the meat. The material is cost effective and easy to recycle. Furthermore, the packaging keeps desired oils and fats in while keeping harmful gases and moisture out. Sealing also keeps out oxygen, the most harmful and common of outside contaminants, which changes the desirable red color to an undesirable gray or green color; it also changes the flavor of the meat.

Multi-Layer Film

Typical multi-layer films used to protect meat have three or more layers. These layers provide protection against physical impact, such as being dropped or touched; oxygen contamination; and water vapor permeation. No form of packaging is indestructible, but the layered film used during vacuum sealing provides the best protection for the consumer at the lowest cost to producer.