14
inside, submerge the bag in water and
squeeze it. Bubbles will indicate that
there is a leak. Seal it again or use
another bag
The bags have not sealed correctly
• The cause could be the sealing bar
overheating or the bag has melted. Open
the cover and let the sealing bar cool for
several minutes.
The bag did not maintain the vacuum
after being sealed
• This can be caused by a leak due to
wrinkles, crumbs, fat or liquid. Open the
bag, clean the upper part and remove
any foreign matter from the sealing bar
before trying to seal it again.
• Make sure that the bag does not have
7. DURATION OF VACUUM PACKED
FOOD
Vacuum packing processes prolong the life of
food by eliminating most of the air in the
sealed receptacle, thereby reducing oxidation
which affects the nutritional value, their flavour
and above all the quality. Expelling air also
inhibits proliferation of micro-organisms
Below is a list of the storage times for
vacuum packed foods. These times are just a
guideline and can vary depending on how
well the food is cooked and its original quality.
Normal storage time
Vacuum packed storage time
Beef, lamb, pig
Poultry
Fish
Salami
Salami slices
Soft cheese
Very hard cheese
Vegetables
Fruit
3 – 4 days
2 – 3 days
1 – 3 days
7 days
4 – 6 days
5 – 7 days
15 days
1 – 3 days
5 – 7 days
8 – 9 days
6 – 8 days
4 – 5 days
25 days
20 – 25 days
20 days
60 days
7 – 10 days
14 – 20 days
Soup
Pasta and rice/risotto
Stewed or roast meat
Cakes
2 – 3 days
2 – 3 days
3 – 5 days
2 – 3 days
8 – 10 days
6 – 8 days
10 – 15 days
8 days
REFRIGERATED FOOD (5 ± 2 °C)
COOKED AND REFRIGERATED FOOD (5 ± 2 °C)
Meat
Fish
Vegetables
4 – 6 months
3 – 4 months
8 – 10 months
15 – 20 months
10 – 12 months
18 – 24 months
FROZEN FOOD (-18 ± 2 °C)
Fresh bread
Biscuits
Pasta and rice
Flour
Nuts
Ground coffee
The
Powdered milk
1 – 2 days
4 – 6 months
5 – 6 months
4 – 5 months
3 – 4 months
2 – 3 months
5 – 6 months
1 – 2 months
8 – 10 days
12 months
12 months
12 months
12 months
12 months
12 months
12 months
FOOD AT HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURE (25 ± 2 °C)
any holes. If the food to be sealed has
sharp edges, first cover it with serviettes
or kitchen paper.
