It is not uncommon for the coffee industry to use nitrogen flow in their packaging. The reason this is done is that they want to extend the shelf life of the product, and also retain more of the natural flavor of the coffee. In food packaging, nitrogen flushing is typically used as a means of getting rid of any leftover particles that might end up in your refrigerator. This is used mainly with organic products, though it is also being used in packaging for things like apples, oranges, and broccoli. There are several different ways that this can be done, and I’m going to talk about one of them in this article.
A popular way of how nitrogen flushing is done is through an on-site nitrogen generator. These are large tanks that sit right on the front of a food packaging facility. They contain multiple layers of nitrogen that are stored in different containers so that different nutrients can be delivered to your product over time. When the nutrients are introduced to your product, they will go right by your packing material without ever having a chance to touch your food. This helps maintain the shelf life of the food, as well as helps increase its purity. If you are worried about the environment, then this method is probably not the best choice for your business, but many will say that it is much better than the alternative.
A second method of how nitrogen flushing is used is through the use of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). This is also commonly referred to as a “closed system” or “open system”. What this does is that it creates a small gap between the inside of the bag and the outside of the package. Once this small gap is created, nitrogen is introduced to the package and the coffee or tea will be sealed inside slowly and carefully so that it is sealed tightly and does not have air pockets in any of the gaps. The benefit of using this method is that you can create as small of a hole as needed and still have the bag do its job and keep the product fresh and clean. In a sense, MAP resembles on-site nitrogen generation, but is far easier to implement.
