Stand Up Pouches for Product Packaging

Are All Bags with Chips or Crackers Filled with Nitrogen?

Written by David Marinac | Jun 20, 2013 3:15:00 PM

Yes, all bags of chips and crackers from responsible manufacturers are filled in with nitrogen to provide the delicate snack a cushion of air. This process is called nitrogen flushing. The process involves flushing out all the air from the bag and replacing it with nitrogen.  The gas provides a cushion to chips and crackers. Without nitrogen inside a plastic pouch or another such flat packaging material, chips and crackers will turn into powder by the time they reach a retail store. These food products are not as sturdy as, say beef jerky. Therefore they cannot be vacuum sealed during packaging.

Oxygen is not used in place of nitrogen because it reacts with the food products inside, especially those which are made from oils. If chips stay exposed to oxygen for long, they will become rancid and their color will change. Ultimately the oxygen will spoil them. Nitrogen has different properties. It does not react with food, oxidize it, or make it go stale. Instead, it keeps food products fresh for longer. So it is used in food pouches. The use of nitrogen flushing in the packaging of chips and crackers is universal now. It provides a flexible food packaging option.