Vacuum Packaging and Food Safety
The vacuum p ack aging proc ess e xtends the life of
foods b y remov ing most of the air from the sealed
container , thereby reducing o xidation, which affects
nutritional value, flavor and o veral l quality . Remov ing
air can also inhibit growth of micr oorganisms, whic h
can c ause problems under c ertain conditions:
Mold – Easi ly identified by its fuzzy char acteristic.
Mold cannot grow in a low o xygen en vironment,
therefore v acuum pac kaging c an slow the growth of
mold.
Y east – Results in fermentation, whic h can be
identified by smel l and tas te. Y eas t needs w ater,
sugar and a moderat e temperature t o grow. It can
also survive with or without air. Slowing the growth
of yea st requires refriger ation, while freezing stops it
complet ely.
Bact eria – Re sults in an u npleas ant odor,
disc oloration and/or soft or slimy textur e. Under
the right condition s, anaerobic bacteria suc h as
Clos tridium botulinum (the organi sm that c auses
Botulism) c an grow without air and sometimes
cannot be det ected by smel l or ta ste. Although it i s
extremely r are, it can be very danger ous.
T o preser ve foods safely , it is critic al that you
maintain low t emperatures. Y ou can signific antly
reduce the gr owth of microorg anisms at
temperatur es of 40°F (4°C) or below. Freezin g at 0°F
(-17°C) does not kil l microor ganisms, but stops them
from growing. For long-term storag e, always freez e
perishab le foods th at have been vacuum pac kaged,
and keep refrig erated after tha wing.
It is important to note that vacuum p ack aging is NO T
a substit ute for canning and it cannot reverse the
dete rio ration of foods. It c an only slow do wn the
ch anges in quality . It is diffic ult to predict how long
foods w ill ret ain their top-quality fl avor, ap pearanc e
or texture bec ause it depends on age and c ondition
of the food on the day it wa s v acuumed pac kaged.
IMPORT ANT: V acuum pack aging is NOT a
substitut e for refri geration or fr eezing. Any
perishab le foods th at require refrig eration must still
be refrigerated or frozen after vacuum pac kaging.
Food Preparation and Reheating Tips
Thawin g and Reheating Vac uum Pac kag ed Foods
Alway s thaw food s in either refriger ator or
microwav e — do not thaw peri shable f oods at room
temperatur e.
T o reheat foods in a mic rowave in a F oodSaver
®
Bag, alway s cut c orner of the bag before placin g it
on a microwav e-safe di sh. However , to avoid hot
spots, do not rehe at bone-in meat or gr easy foods
in microwav e within a FoodSaver
®
Bag. Y ou can al so
reheat f oods in FoodSaver
®
Bags b y plac ing them in
water at a lo w simmer below 1 70°F (75°C).
Prepar ation Guidelines f or Meat and Fish:
For best results, pre-freez e meat and fish for 1-2
hours before vacuum pac kaging in a FoodSaver
®
Bag. This help s retain the juic e and shape, and
guarantees a better seal.
If it’s not possibl e to pre-freeze, place a folded
paper towel between meat or fi sh and top of bag,
but below se al area. L eave paper to wel in bag to
absorb ex ces s moist ure and juice s during vacuum
pac kaging proc ess.
Note: B eef may appear dark er af ter v acuum
pac kaging due to the remo val of oxy gen. Thi s is not
an indication of s poilage.
Prepar ation Guidelines f or Hard Cheeses:
T o keep chee se fresh, v acuum pac kage it after eac h
use. Mak e your FoodSav er
®
Bag extra lon g, allowing
one inch of bag material for eac h time you plan to
open and reseal in addition to the 3-inc h room y ou
normally leave between c ontents and se al. Simply
cut seal ed edge and remove c heese. When you’re
ready to repac kag e the cheese, ju st drop it in b ag
and reseal.
IMPORT ANT: Due to the ri sk of anaer obic bacter ia,
Soft c heeses shoul d never be vac uum pack aged.
Prepar ation Guidelines f or V eget ables:
V egetables need to be bl anched befor e vacuum
pac k ag ing. This proce ss stop s the enzyme action
that c ould lea d to loss of flavor , color and texture.
T o blanch veget ables, pl ace them in boilin g water
or in the microwav e until they are cook ed, but sti ll
crisp . Blanc hing times r ange from 1 to 2 minute s for
leafy greens and peas; 3 to 4 minute s for sn ap peas,
sliced z ucc hini or brocco li; 5 minutes for carrots; and
7 to 11 minutes f or corn on the co b. After bl anching,
immerse vegetabl es in co ld water to s top the
cookin g proces s. Finally , dr y v egetab les on a to wel
before vacuum pack aging.
Note: A ll v egetab les (includin g brocc oli, brussel s
sprouts, cabb age, cauliflo wer, k ale, turnip s)
natur ally emit g ases during storag e. Therefor e, after
blanc hing, they must be stored in freezer only .
Guidelines
for Vacuum Packaging
When freezing veget ables, it is best to pre-freeze
them for 1-2 hours or until solidly frozen. T o freeze
veget ables in indiv idual servings, first plac e on
a baking sheet and spread them out so they are
not touchin g. This prevents them from freezing
together in a block. Once they are frozen, remove
from baking sheet and vacuum pack age vegetab les
in a FoodSaver
®
Bag. After they h ave been vacuum
pac kaged, return them to the freezer.
IMPORT ANT: Due to the ri sk of anaer obic bacter ia,
Fresh mu shrooms, onions, & garlic should never
be vacuum pac kag ed.
Prepar ation Guidelines f or Leafy V egetable s:
|For best results, use a c anister t o store leafy
veget ables. First wash the veget ables, and then dry
with a towel or sala d spinner. After they are dried,
put them in a c anister and v acuum pac kag e. Store in
refrigerat or.
Prepar ation Guidelines f or Fruits:
When freezing soft fruits or berries, it is best to pre-
freeze them for 1-2 hours or until solidly frozen. T o
freeze fruit in individual servings, first place on a
baking sheet and spread them out so they are not
touc hing. This prevents them from freezing together
in a block. Once they are frozen, remove from baking
sheet and v acuum pac kage fruit in a FoodSaver
®
Bag. After they h ave been vacuum p ack aged, ret urn
them to the freezer .
Y ou can vac uum pac kage portions f or baking, or in
your fav orite combin ations f or easy fruit sala d all year
round. If s toring in the refriger ator, w e recommend
using a F oodSaver
®
Cani ster.
Prepar ation Guidelines f or Baked Good s:
T o vacuum pac kag e soft or airy baked g oods, we
recommend us ing a FoodSaver
®
Cani ster so they
will hold their shape. If using a bag, pre-freeze for
1-2 hours or until solidly froz en. T o save time, mak e
cookie dough, pie shel ls, whole pies, or mi x dry
ingredients in adv ance and vacuum pac kage for later
use.
Prepar ation Guidelines f or C offee and Po wdery
Foods:
T o prevent food particles from bein g drawn into
vacuum pump, p lace a c offee filter or paper towel at
top of bag or c anister befor e vacuum pack aging. Y ou
can also pl ace the food in its original b ag inside a
FoodSaver
®
Bag, or use a FoodSav er
®
Universal Lid
with the original container to vacuum pac kage.
Prepar ation Guidelines f or Liquids:
Before you vac uum pac kage liquid s suc h as soup
stoc k, pre-freeze in a casserole dish, loaf pan or ice
cube tray until solid. Remove frozen liquid from pan
and vacuum p ack age in a FoodSav er
®
Bag. Y ou can
stac k these “frozen brick s” in your freezer. When
you’re re ady to use, jus t cut c orner of bag and pl ace
in a dish in microw ave or drop into wat er at a low
simmer , below 17 0°F (75°C).
T o vacuum pac kag e non-carbonated bottl ed liquids,
you can u se a FoodSaver
®
Bottle St opper with the
original c ontainer . Remember to le ave at lea st one
inch of room between cont ents and bottom of Bottl e
Stopper . Y ou can re-se al bottles after eac h use.
Prepar ation Guidelines f or Make-ahe ad Me als,
Lefto vers and Sandwiches:
Efficiently st ore your m ake-ahe ad meals, lefto vers
and sandwic hes in the stac kab le, lightweight
FoodSaver
®
container s. They ar e microwav eable,
top rac k dishw asher safe and come with a cu stom
adaptor . The lightweight cont ainers wil l be rea dy to
head off t o the office or sc hool when you are!
Prepar ation Guidelines f or Snac k F oods:
Y our snac k foods wi ll maint ain their freshnes s longer
when you vacuum pac kage them. For best results,
use a FoodSaver
®
Cani ster for crush able items like
crac kers.
Vacuum Packaging Non-Food Items
The FoodSaver
®
vacuum p ack aging syst em also
protects non-food it ems from o xidation, c orrosion
and moistur e. Simply follow the dir ections to vacuum
pac kage items using F oodSaver
®
Bags, C anisters and
Acc essories.
T o vacuum pac kag e silver , wrap fork tines in soft
cushioning mat erial, suc h as a paper t owel, to
avoid punct uring bag. Y our FoodSav er
®
Bags ar e
ideal for out door excur sions. F or camping and
hiking, k eep your m atc hes, map s and food dry and
compact. T o have fresh water f or drinking, simply
fill a F oodSaver
®
Bag with ic e, seal it and when
needed, let the ic e pac k melt. If you’re g oing sailin g
or boating, v acuum pac kage your food, film and a dry
ch ange of c lothes. Just r emember to bring sci ssors or
a knife to open the bag.
T o keep emergency k its s afe and dry, v acuum
pac kage fl ares, batteries, fl ashlights, m atc hes,
candles and other neces sities. Y our emergency items
will stay dry and organized in your home, vehicle or
boat.
GUID EL INES
GUID EL INES
www .foodsaver .com 1-877-777-8042 www .foodsaver .com 1-877-777-8042
11 12