Packaging or cling sealing ingredients has almost become the default set strategy when handling foods not only in the professional kitchen but the general household. The influences from chartered cooking chef to public through broadcast on the television has resulted not only in the extremities and technique of dishes produced but also safety standards.
Such precautions however were not always the case.
At one time, most notably prior to the 1970s, all meats, fruits, vegetables and breads were all left to lukewarm room temperature and without a protective layer. This act meant that all digestible entities were inviting harmful bacteria from in the air and one another via mixing on the work surface. Harmful Bacteria, such as Clostidrium Botulinum, adores room temperature as it can survive and multiply at a more rapid pace, thus spread and infect easier.
Sandwiches or bait for lunch at work during this period were delivered either in a Brown paper bag or wrapped in Tin foil, both sealants with openings receptive to incoming bacteria.
Example of a sandwich sealed in Tin Foil.
Curtesy of chefsdecozinha.com
It was not until the early 1980s and the emergence of Plastic Wrap or Cling Film that food preparers started to take food hygiene into account when handling and chopping and storing. The rise of the circulated televisions led onto the Celebrity Chef teaching households not only about cultural flavours and dishes unheard of until then, but how Cling Film could be wrapped around any food stuff to compress air and stop harmful Bacteria from reaching.
This new innovative technology could be stored at room temperature or chilled in the fridge, which was even better as Bacteria survives less in the cold. This influence of the Chef and the news of how it was being distributed within their restaurant kitchen encouraged brands such as Clingfoil to endorse the product in supermarkets for everyone to purchase and use. This was a revolutionary time for food standards and storage, as the selling of Cling Film in the shop and new takeaway packaging led brands to advertise their importance both motional and printed.
The word was out there. Seal all foods air tight with a protective layer to prevent the spread of Bacteria and infection. Simple.
Since the introduction of Cling Film, the adhesive device 0.5 thousandth of an inch thick has become the most popular form of storage sold in supermarkets. Admittedly it was and remains a need in the kitchen for cleanliness but it has always had one flaw, the wrapper. If the person wrapping the Cling Film applies it too loose or tears it, then its purpose becomes obsolete as Bacteria will find a way through.
A Chef applying Cling Film to prepared food.
Curtesy of publicityworks.biz
This minor disadvantage of Cling Film has led innovators and the authorised body of the Food Standards Agency to plan and produce a protective accessory guaranteed to completely remove air pockets. The device in question is Vacuum Packaging.
Vacuum Packaging or Pouching is an occurrence many might say would not have been possible during the 1980s due to the technology of that time. Such form of packing has defiantly been inspired by Cling Film in both the ways of strategy and composed transparent material. Other leads Vacuum Packaging has took from the now competitor is the dependency one has on the Celebrity Chef.
Since the 1980s the cookery show has spurned internationally in many differential avenues, whether round by round competitions, elegant baking showcases or the now classic Chef tutorial. Through all of these the matter of food hygiene is emphasised almost as much as the food itself. Such teaching displays on how to prepare and store by the professional opens the viewer attention towards the most up to date technique.
Lately the Vacuum device has become the party piece on the market that all television stations and restaurant kitchens want at their disposal. And it is all for the benefit of the eater involved.
Vacuum Packaging/ Pouching has implemented the fact that the food shelf life can be extended even more than first initially thought by food standards. An air tight environment that multiplies life expectancy five times.
What does this mean? A longer shelf life prevents food from going off and stay fresh, which reduces waste.
Sealants, of which range from not only foods at home but the industrial mass produced, constrain the air around food so that flavours remain for longer at a higher dose. The Vacuum process, which relies on the Vacuum machine, shrinks the protective bag as mentioned previous so that storage space is endorsed. The adhesive material becomes a carrier in itself, so container boxes are no longer needed. Another bonus for those short on spacing.
Though the Vacuum Packaging requires people to purchase the Vacuum machine, it will undoubtedly be an insurance policy on food hygiene and would soon become a kitchen appliance as like the kettle or toaster.
A stored piece of meat that has been sealed via Vacuum Packaging.
Curtesy of multivac.nl
