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Vacuum Sealing Can Be Hazardous to Your Health Tess Pennington Vacuum sealing food has taken this country by storm. The ability to divide and seal food in a low oxygen environment in order to prolong its freshness and storage time is a prepper’s dream. Vacuum sealing, or ROP (Reduced Oxygen Packaging) slows down the process of spoilage by reducing atmospheric oxygen, and creates an anaerobic environment that limits the growth of aerobic bacteria or fungi, and prevents the evaporation of volatile components. Vacuum sealing is often used in combination with other packaging and food processing techniques. As effective as this food storage source seems, it could put your health at risk. There are certain types of bacteria that prefer low oxygen environments and will grow on foods that have been vacuum sealed. Knowing the dangers these bacteria possess can help you avoid them and keep your food storage safe. Botulism and Listeria MonocytogenesEven in an oxygen-depleted environment, Anaerobic organisms can proliferate, potentially causing food safety problems. Botulism and Listeria monocytogenes are examples of pathogenic bacteria that cause food borne illnesses from growing and thriving in an anaerobic environment. Moreover, these bacteria have the capacity of growing at a faster rate in vacuum sealed foods due to the oxygen-free environment as well as the fact that these bacteria are not in competition with other spoilage bacteria. These bacteria often do not produce noticeable changes in the foods; therefore, relying on sight, smell and taste would not be helpful. However, only a tiny amount of these spores (a few nanograms) need to be present in order for them to be deadly. According to the FDA, the following are dangers associated with vacuum sealing food sources:
Safety Guidelines for Vacuum Sealing FoodIf you have taken proper steps in preparing your food in a clean and uncontaminated environment, then this should not be a problem. However, if there is any question about the safety, then err on the side of caution and do not vacuum pack the food, as you would be creating a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Follow these guidelines to properly vacuum seal food:
Which Foods are Safe and How Long Do They Store?Shelf life of vacuum packaged foods
Above table adapted by Tilia Inc. from Dr. G.K.York, Dept. of Food Science & Tech, U of California, Davis Vaccum sealing food can be a productive way to maintain your food source as well as prolong its shelf life. Ensure that you take the proper steps in handling and storing your food to reduce the presence of bacteria in your food storage.
Additional Resources: What is Reduced Oxygen Packaging and What are the Food Safety Concerns & Controls? Should I Vacuum Package Food at Home?
Tess Pennington is the author of The Prepper's Cookbook: 300 Recipes to Turn Your Emergency Food into Nutritious, Delicious, Life-Saving Meals. When a catastrophic collapse cripples society, grocery store shelves will empty within days. But if you follow this book's plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply, your family will have plenty to eat for weeks, months or even years. Visit her web site at ReadyNutrition.com. This information has been made available by Ready Nutrition Author: Tess Pennington Related Categories: Dry Goods Storage, Food Storage
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Great table at the end. Printing this out to put on the frig door.
WE HAVE VACUUM SEALED FOR YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM. JUST MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A CLEAN AREA TO DO IT. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS METHOD.
@ Mr. Prepper,
I have never had this problem either when we have vacuum sealed our foods, but nevertheless, the dangers are present. When preparing food for vacuum sealing, ensure that the area is clean, your hands are washed and you do not cross contaminate foods. If you do this, you should be fine.
Thanks for your comment.
Tess
This is more true for foods that are not dehydrated? If they are dried enough to be brittle then vacuum sealed they should be safe?
Sande – Yes, absolutely this is referring to the more perishable food items.
So my deer meat is about 10 months old and no good??
Sorry. It’s in butcher paper, what I have left.
I though sugar keeps basically forever anyway. So, if I vacuum seal it, why would it keep less time? Also, I though white rice would keep for 10 yrs. in a cool, dry place. So I thought vacuum sealing would make it even longer. Right? My parents have tons of blueberries and I always freeze them in vacuum seal bags. They have to be frozen, then suck the air out later, and stick back in freezer. Works great. Does heat kill these bacteria mentioned in the article? Please advise.
Hi GA Girl,
The chart in the article is meant to be a guide for when food can turn. It is based on findings at the University of California, but I’m pretty sure they are not preppers. Personally speaking, I have vacuum sealed sugar that I packed in 2006 and is still good. The best thing to do, as you probably already know is when you take food out of your food storage pantry, examine it to make sure the bag hasn’t been damaged, the bag hasn’t been infested with bugs and that it still looks good.
We have been using a vacuum sealer for years and have never had a problem. Clean hands means everythig in health.