Why Are My Bag Of Chips Half-Full Of Air?

Have you ever opened a bag of chips and wondered, why chip bags have so much air? Have you ever been disappointed to see a large pocket of space in your chip bag?

It may surprise you to learn that the large air pockets in your bag of chips aren’t air at all and that chips came this way for a very good reason. There’s a science behind the art of chip packaging. Everything happens for a reason. Here’s what you should know.

The “Air” In Your Bag of Chips Isn’t Air At All

Air is not suitable for food. Exposure to air is what causes food to spoil. Over an extended period, air causes microorganisms to grow. Yeast and bacteria will grow and thrive when exposed to air. These are the microorganisms that cause food to break down. In addition, exposure to air can speed up chemical reactions in food, causing the food to smell, taste bad and look bad.

Chips can stay good while in the bag as long as the bag isn’t opened. This is because the air was removed from the bag before it was sealed. The environment inside the bag is not conducive to the chemical reactions and growth of bacteria that food needs to break down.

So, What’s the Gas In The Bag of Chips?

The air in your bag of chips is a harmless gas called nitrogen. Nitrogen helps protect your food’s color, flavor, odor, and structural integrity. Before your bag of chips was closed with chips inside, the bag was filled with nitrogen. Nitrogen is a gas that’s found in the air. Nearly 80% of the earth’s atmosphere is made up of nitrogen.

Chip manufacturers refer to filling your bag of chips with air as “slack fill.” Slack fill is a necessary process that does more than prevent your chips from spoiling. Here’s what else you should know.

Nitrogen Inside the Bag Helps the Bag Stay Inflated

You’ve probably noticed that chips can be fragile and easily crushed under certain conditions. Nitrogen in your chips protects them by keeping the bag inflated around them – as long as the bag is sealed and nitrogen inside, the chips can maintain a cushion that prevents them from becoming crushed.

How Does Nitrogen Get In The Chip Bag?

Food manufacturers have machines for removing oxygen-rich air out of the bag of chips while filling the space with nitrogen. Once this is done, the bag is sealed quickly before it can refill with air.

In addition to the special machinery that can remove the oxygen from the chip bag, many chip manufacturers have a nitrogen generator on hand to create the nitrogen. While nitrogen can also be rented from storage tanks, many chip manufacturing companies have found that nitrogen generators are a cost-effective, eco-friendly way to create a lot of nitrogen on demand.

Need a Nitrogen Generator? Contact On Site Gas

Your business can benefit from a nitrogen generator if you’re making and selling chips. A good nitrogen generator can help save your company money over time, compared to the cost of renting nitrogen tanks and having them delivered.

In addition, finding a steady supply of nitrogen tanks can be tricky since supply chain issues can delay regular deliveries. The best way to keep your company producing and selling chips (cost-effectively) is to get a nitrogen generator for your plant. On Site Gas can help with this. We sell reliable nitrogen generators. Contact us today to learn more about how you can get an onsite nitrogen generator for your business.