Why is there so much air inside chip bags?
When you buy a bag of chips, it can be frustrating to find that the package is almost entirely filled with air. However, there is actually an important reason for this. Why is there air inside chip bags? Is the air in chip bags necessary?
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The exterior appearance of chip bags may give the consumer the impression that they contain a large amount of product.
However, when the bag is opened, finding that it is largely filled with air can be disappointing.
Yet, this air serves an important function, not just to increase the size of the package, but to protect the freshness and integrity of the product.
It is generally known that chip bags contain a large amount of air to prevent them from being crushed during transport, acting as a sort of airbag.
Furthermore, the presence of air in the bag helps it adapt to changes in atmospheric pressure. If these packages are being shipped to other countries by plane, changes in air pressure can become a significant problem.
On the other hand, the air inside the bag is not the air we know.
The bags are not filled with atmospheric air from the factory, but with nitrogen. Potato chips exposed to open air and oxygen can quickly soften and lose their crunch, as you might notice if you leave a bag open overnight.
Additionally, nitrogen helps prevent the oxidation of the fats and starches in the chips, helping them stay fresh and crispy for longer.
Nitrogen is a good choice because it is non-reactive, odorless, and safe for use in food packaging.
SO, IS THIS AIR-FILLING PROCESS NECESSARY?
It can still be observed that air-filled chip bags break due to shaking and vibration. Furthermore, it has been determined that because air-filled bags take up so much space, more trucks are needed to transport them, more fuel is consumed, and this both increases carbon emissions and raises costs.
In other words, if potato chip manufacturers could develop a more effective way to protect the packages, eating potato chips could be less harmful to nature and a much lower-cost pleasure.
It should not be forgotten that the best and healthiest option might be to buy a kilo or two of fresh potatoes and fry or bake them at home.