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Vacuum Packaging and Food Safety
The vacuum packagin g process extends the life of
foo ds by rem ov in g mos t of the ai r fro m the sea led
container , thereby reducing oxidation, which affects
nut rit ion al v alu e, fl avor a nd o ver all q ual ity . Rem ov ing
air can also inhi bit gro wth of mic roorg anism s, wh ic h
can cause problems under certain conditions:
Mold – Easily identified by its fuzzy ch aracteris tic. Mold
cannot grow in a low oxygen environment, therefore
vacuum pack aging can slow the growth of mold.
Y east – Results in fermentation, which can be
ide nti fie d by smel l and ta ste. Y eas t ne eds wat er,
sugar and a moderate temperature to grow. It causes
als o surv iv e wi th or w ith out air . Slow ing the grow th
of yeast requires refrigeration, while freezing stops it
complet ely .
Bact eria – Res ul ts in an un pl ea sant odor ,
di sc ol or ati on an d/o r soft or sli my tex tu re . Unde r
the right conditions, anaerobic bacteria such as
Clos tridium botulinum (the organism that causes
Botulism) can grow without air and sometimes
cannot be detected by smell or taste. Although it is
extremely rare, it can be very dangerous.
T o pre serve food s saf ely , it is cri tic al tha t y ou
maintain low temperatures. Y ou can significantly
reduce the growth of microorganisms at
temperatur es of 40°F (4°C) or below. Freezing at 0°F
(-1 7°C) do es not kil l micr oor ga ni sms , bu t st op s them
fro m gro wing . For lon g-t er m sto ra ge , alw ays free ze
perishab le foods that have been vacuum packag ed,
and keep refrigerated after thawing.
It is im port an t to note tha t v ac uum pac kagi ng is NO T
a sub stit ute for c an nin g and it c ann ot reve rs e the
det e rio rat ion of fo ods . It can onl y sl ow do wn th e
c ha ng es in qua lit y . It is diff icu lt to pre dic t ho w lon g
foo ds wi ll ret ain thei r top -qu ali ty fla vo r , app ea ra nc e
or te xt ur e bec ause it depe nd s on ag e and con dit ion
of the food on the day it was vacuumed packag ed.
IMP OR T ANT: V acu um pa c kagin g is NO T a su bs ti tu t e
for refrigeration or freezing. Any perishable foods
th at requ ire ref rig er at ion must sti ll be ref rig erat ed or
frozen after vacuum packagin g.
Food Preparation and Reheating Tips
Thawin g and Reheating V acuum Pac kaged Foods
Alw ays tha w foo ds in eith er r efr ige ra to r or
microwave — do not thaw perishable foods at room
temperatur e.
T o reheat foods in a microwave in a FoodSaver
®
Bag,
always cut corner of the bag before placing it on a
microwav e-safe dish. However, to avoid hot spots, do
not reheat bone-in meat or greasy foods in microwave
within a FoodSaver
®
Bag. Y ou can also reheat foods
in FoodSaver
®
Bags by placing them in water at a low
simmer below 170°F ( 75°C).
Prepar ation Guidelines for Meat and Fish:
For best results, pre-freeze meat and fish for 1-2 hours
before vacuum pack aging in a FoodSaver
®
Bag. This
helps retain the juice and shape, and guarantees a
better seal.
If it’s not possibl e to pre-freeze, place a folded paper
towel between meat or fish and top of bag, but below
seal area. Leave paper towel in bag to absorb exc ess
moistur e and juices during vacuum pac kaging proce ss.
Note: Beef may appear darker after vacuum pack aging
due to the removal of oxyg en. This is not an indication
of spoilage.
Prepar ation Guidelines for Hard Cheeses:
T o keep cheese fresh, vacuum packag e it after each
use. Make your FoodSaver
®
Bag extra long, allowing
one inch of bag material for eac h time you plan to
open and reseal in addition to the 3-inch room you
normally leave between contents and seal. Simply cut
sealed edge and remove cheese. When you’re ready to
repac kag e the cheese, just drop it in bag and reseal.
IMPORT ANT: Due to the risk of anaerobic bact eria,
Soft cheeses should never be vacuum packag ed.
Prepar ation Guidelines for V egetable s:
V egetables need to be blanched before vacuum pack -
ag ing. This proce ss stops the enzyme action that could
lead to loss of flavor , color and texture.
T o blanc h vegetab les, place them in boiling water or
in the microwave until they are cooked, but still crisp .
Blanc hing times range from 1 to 2 minutes for leafy
greens and peas; 3 to 4 minutes for snap peas, sliced
zuc chini or broccoli; 5 minutes for carrots; and 7 to 11
minutes for corn on the cob. After blanc hing, immerse
veget ables in cold water to stop the cooking process.
Finally , dry veget ables on a towel before vacuum
pac kaging.
Note: All veg etable s (including broccoli, brussels
sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower , kale, turnips) naturally
emit gases during storage. Therefore, after blanching,
they must be stored in freezer only.
Guidelines
for Vacuum Packaging
Whe n fre ez ing ve ge ta bl es , it is best to pr e-f ree z e
them for 1-2 hours or until solidly frozen. T o freeze
ve ge ta bl es in ind iv idu al servi ng s, fir st pl ac e on
a b ak ing shee t an d spr e ad th em out so the y ar e
not touc hing . T hi s pr ev ent s the m fro m fr eez in g
tog ether in a blo c k. On c e they are froz en, rem ov e
from baking sheet and vacuum pack age vegetab les
in a FoodSaver
®
Bag. After they have been vacuum
pac kag ed, ret urn them to the free ze r .
IMP OR T ANT: Due t o the ri sk of ana er obic bac t eri a,
Fresh mushrooms, onions, & garlic should never be
vacuum pack aged.
Prepar ation Guidelines for Leafy V egetables:
For best results, use a canist er to store leafy
veget ables. First wash the vegetable s, and then dr y
wi th a to we l or s al ad spin ner . After they are dr ied ,
put them in a ca ni st er and va cuu m pa c k ag e. S to re in
refrigerat or.
Prepar ation Guidelines for Fruits:
When freezing sof t fruits or berries, it is best to pre-
freeze them for 1-2 hours or until solidly frozen. T o
freeze fruit in individual ser vings, first place on a
baking sheet and spread them out so they are not
tou c hi ng. Th is prev en ts them fr om free zi ng to ge the r
in a bl oc k. Onc e the y ar e fr oz en , rem ov e fr om ba ki ng
sheet and vacuum pack age fruit in a FoodSaver
®
Ba g. Aft er th ey hav e bee n v acu um pa c kag ed, ret urn
them to the freezer .
Y ou c an v acuum pac kag e porti on s fo r ba ki ng, or in
yo ur f av ori te co mbi na tio ns for ea sy frui t s alad all year
rou nd. If st oring in the re fri ge ra to r , we re c omm end
using a FoodSaver
®
Canister .
Prepar ation Guidelines for Baked Goods:
T o vacuum pack age soft or air y baked goods, we
recommend using a FoodSaver
®
Canister so they will
hold their shape. If using a bag, pre-freeze for 1-2
hours or until solidly frozen. T o save time, make cookie
dough, pie shells, whole pies, or mix dr y ingredients in
advanc e and vacuum pack age for later use.
Prep aration Guidelines for C offee and Powdery Foods:
T o prev en t fo od pa rtic le s fr om be ing dra wn into
vacuum pump, place a coffee filter or paper towel at
top of ba g or c ani ster be for e vacu um pac kagi ng. Y ou
ca n als o pl ac e the foo d in its orig in al bag in side a
FoodSaver
®
Bag, or use a FoodSaver
®
Univ ers al Lid
with the original container to vacuum packag e.
Prepar ation Guidelines for Liquids:
Before you vacuum pack age liquids such as soup
stoc k, pre-freeze in a cas serole dish, loaf pan or ice
cube tray until solid. Remove frozen liquid from pan
and vacuum packag e in a FoodSaver
®
Bag. Y ou can
stac k these “frozen bricks” in your freezer. When you’re
ready to use, just cut corner of bag and place in a dish
in microwave or drop into water at a low simmer, below
17 0°F ( 75°C).
T o v ac uum p ac k ag e no n -c arb on at ed b ot tle d li qu ids ,
you can use a FoodSaver
®
Bottle Stopper with the
original container . Remember to leave at least one
inch of room between contents and bottom of Bottle
Stopper . Y ou can re-seal bottles after each use.
Prepar ation Guidelines for Make-ahea d Meals,
Lefto vers and Sandwic hes:
Efficiently store your make-ahe ad meals, leftovers and
sandwic hes in the stack able, lightweight FoodSaver
®
container s. They are microwave able, top rack
dishwa sher safe and come with a custom adaptor . The
lightweight containers will be ready to head off to the
office or school when you are!
Prepar ation Guidelines for Snac k Foods:
Y our snac k foods will maintain their freshness longer
when you vacuum packag e them. For best results, use
a FoodSaver
®
Canister for crushable items like crack ers.
Vacuum Packaging Non-Food Items
The FoodSaver
®
vacuum packagin g system also
protects non-food items from oxidation, corros ion
and moisture. Simply follow the directions to vacuum
pac kage items using FoodSaver
®
Bags, Canis ters and
Acc essories.
T o vacuum pack age silver , wrap fork tines in sof t
cushioning material, such as a paper towel, to avoid
puncturin g bag. Y our FoodSaver
®
Bags are ideal for
outdoor excursion s. For camping and hiking, keep your
matc hes, maps and food dr y and compact. T o have
fresh water for drinking, simply fill a FoodSaver
®
Bag
with ice, seal it and when needed, let the ice pack melt.
If you’re going sailing or boating, vacuum packag e your
food, film and a dr y change of clothes. Just remember
to bring scissor s or a knife to open the bag.
T o keep emergency kits safe and dr y , vacuum packag e
flares, batteries, flashlights, matc hes, candles and
other necessities. Y our emergency items will stay dry
and organized in your home, car or boat.
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