Okuzeka
Food Science & Technology vocabulary · Packaging and Labeling

Vacuum packaging

Meaning in food science & technology, with examples

nounCommon term

In food science & technology, vacuum packaging means: Packaging in which the air is removed from the pack before it is sealed, so that the film fits tightly around the product and oxygen is kept away.

In Turkish: vakum ambalajlama, vakumlu ambalaj

How it is used

Common for cheese, cured meats, fresh meat cuts, coffee and nuts. It slows lipid oxidation and spoilage by bacteria that need oxygen, but anaerobic bacteria can still grow, including Clostridium botulinum in some chilled foods, so temperature control is still essential. Also called 'vacuum packing'.

Example sentences

  1. Vacuum packaging extends the shelf life of sliced pastırma to several weeks in the fridge.

  2. A leaking seal in vacuum packaging shows up as loose film around the product.

Common collocations

  • vacuum-packed
  • vacuum pouch
  • vacuum sealer
  • skin packaging
  • loss of vacuum
  • modified atmosphere packagingPackaging in which the air inside the pack is replaced with a gas mixture, usually of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and sometimes oxygen, to slow down spoilage.
  • packagingThe materials and containers that hold and protect a food product, and also the process of putting the product into them.
  • lipid oxidationA chemical reaction between fats or oils and oxygen that breaks them down and produces stale, rancid flavors and smells.
  • Clostridium botulinumA spore-forming bacterium that grows without oxygen and produces botulinum toxin, one of the strongest known poisons, which causes the rare but potentially fatal illness botulism.

More terms: Packaging and Labeling

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: