Sealing the Deal on Food Innovation
As a chef in training, finding the freshest ingredients can be a challenge. Keeping them fresh while holding nutrition and taste is even tougher. In today’s modern world, we still have way too much food waste at home and in our restaurants. There are even documentaries, such as Just Eat It, and courses that strictly focus on the issue of food waste and food cost control within a restaurant. How is it that we haven’t fully adapted our purchasing and storage habits of food in the twenty-first century to deal with these real issues?
The concept of food storage using vacuum packaging is nothing new and has moderately evolved over the last 8 decades, but stuck to the original concept. By removing oxygen from the products being sealed, it was discovered that you could extend a product's shelf life by up to five times longer than in the fridge on their own.
Initial vacuum seal packaging used in France in 1936 began as a rubber latex bag which they found greatly improved the quality of frozen products. It wasn’t until the 1950’s though that polyvinylidene chloride film, also known as PDVC film, became the regularly used sealer.
In the 1940’s, the very first commercial vacuum sealer would begin to package products for consumers. This would dramatically change the way food would be stored and presented in stores. It wasn’t until almost a half century later, in 1984, that the first home-style vacuum packer would be introduced to the world by a man named Hans Christian, called the FoodSaver, and then remodelled in 1990 to add a more modern style to it.
Unbelievably, vacuum sealers have not become a regular household item despite the fact that they can save a consumer hundreds of dollars a year. The same can be said for the commercial side with products then being able to last even longer in the freezer or fridge and hold more freshness and nutrition. With that being said, food manufacturers generally are in the industry to turn mass profit, not to benefit the consumer and their family. If a product is able to stay longer in your fridge or freezer, you may be less likely to eat it for the next meal, therefore not buying the product as frequently. The cost of using a vacuum sealer and the plastic vs general plastic wrap also goes up dramatically, and businesses would have to adjust their prices accordingly to keep their profits at the current levels, so this is why we still see most items in the supermarket wrapped in cost effective saran.
Vacuum sealers also offer chefs a unique cooking method which was also popularized in France called sous-vide, meaning “under pressure”. This cooking method does use the packaging and vacuum seal to work, but it is really all about temperature control. A controlled heater can warm a bath of water to a temperature you set and it could literally hold that temperature in the bag for hours, or even days, if necessary. This ensures that the product is perfectly cooked with a very low margin of error compared to traditional methods, and remains juicier and more tender.
I personally don’t think vacuum sealers gets enough credit for what they offer; long lasting freshness and quality, and more money back in your wallet with less food in the trash. It’s really a no-brainer and should be at the top of your next holiday wish list if it isn’t already. I am excited to bring one into my life already so I can start saving my local summer vegetables for use during the winter months and to prevent freezer burn from ever effecting my foods again.
Resources:
http://modernistcuisine.com/2013/01/why-cook-sous-vide/Â
http://commonsensehome.com/uses-for-a-vacuum-sealer/Â
http://www.ebay.com/gds/History-Origin-Buy-a-Home-Style-Vacuum-Packer-Sealer-/10000000000972111/g.html
http://www.meatupdate.csiro.au/data/Vak_Pak_01-80.pdf
http://www.packaginginnovation.com/product-packaging/food-packaging-2/invention-vacuum-food-packaging-changed-food-industry/
http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/features/sous-vide-history
