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An oxygen absorber

The contents of an oxygen absorber from a packet of beef jerky.

An oxygen absorber is a small packet of material used to prolong the shelf life of food. They are used in food packaging to prevent food colour change, to stop oils in foods from becoming rancid, and also retard the growth of oxygen-using aerobic microorganisms such as fungi.

Oxygen supports the growth of microorganisms and causes changes in color and rancid odors in packaged foods. Plastic packaging is less able to exclude oxygen from packaged foods than are the older glass and metal containers. Oxygen absorbers absorb oxygen and effectively reduce the aerobic environment to 0% oxygen. Therefore aerobic bacteria and fungi are unable to grow in this environment. This will extend the shelf life of a food product from 1 week to several months. The advantages of oxygen satchels versus vacuum packaging are that the food products are not crushed or squeezed, as some products are of high value and are fragile, and its simplicity of use.

Oxygen absorbers are made in different formulations to match the water activity of the foods they are protecting. The FreshPax Type-D, made by Multisorb Technologies, is designed to be used in dry foods such as nuts and dried grains. The FreshPax Type-B is designed to work with moister foods such as bread and processed meats.

Other technologies are used as well. The Ageless oxygen absorber, developed by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, is a sachet of iron carbonate rather than the actual metal powder.

Tianhua Technologies pioneered the oxygen and carbon dioxide absorber. They are partnered in distribution in Australia, Japan and South Africa through their strategic alliance with Wholesale Group International.

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