The Utilities of Oxygen Scavengers for Food Storage

Oxygen is the fundamental requirement of every living being. But it is also the main reason for spoiling of food and rusting of metals. This can mainly pose a threat in packaged food. And you cannot use any chemical to remove the oxygen because those chemicals will also react with the food products, making them toxic and unfit to consume. The best solution to avoid food spoilage from oxygen is by using oxygen absorbers. Oxygen packets are substances that remove unwanted products when added in to a particular package. They are USFDA approved Food Grade and Pharma Grade products to help protect the packed food items. Due to their oxygen killing characteristic they are also called as O-Busters.

Oxygen scavengers are basically small porous sachets containing a mixture of powdered irons and sodium chloride. Iron is the active ingredient responsible for the process of oxidation. The iron in the packet absorbs 99.9% of the oxygen in the container and begins to rust. It gives out nitrogen which is helpful in keeping insects and pests at bay. Oxygen scavengers react rapidly with oxygen, passivate steel surfaces, have volatility and can be safely handled. Because they do not discharge any harmful gases or toxic elements, it is safe to use them in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Oxygen scavengers are designed to remove or decrease oxygen level from inside packaged products, especially vacuum packing. They help to prevent the growth of fungus mold, mildew and bacteria. In this way they increase the shelf life of a product. Usually each package is about 20cc to 3000cc in size. Sometimes, even Zeolite and water are also used in absorbers. Water based oxygen scavengers are generally used in seawater injection and production separation systems as a tool to prevent oxygen induced corrosion.