Are there any Food Safety Issues Relating to Vacuum Sealing?
Vacuum sealing has become an increasingly popular method of extending food life without adversely affecting food quality. However, certain common sense food safety principles do apply. For example: • It is always advisable that poor quality foods should never be vacuum sealed in attempt to extend shelf life, nor should vacuum sealing be used solely as a means of perpetual conservation of leftover foods. • Vacuum sealing is never a substitute for chilling or freezing. The removal of air will stop the growth of mould and restrict the growth of yeast only in combination with normal refrigeration or freezing. Bacterial growth in a vacuum will be significantly reduced at chill temperatures of 3.3 – 5 C. and will be prohibited at freeze temperatures of <-17 C. There is one main food safety issue that although extremely rare needs to be recognised, notably Clostridium Botulinum, the organism that causes Botulism. Clostridium Botulinum is bacteria that prefers to grow in an anaerobic condition
