Is oxygen used in potato chip bags?
Actually, there are no any ordinary air in a bag of chips. All of the air (oxygen) is removed and replaced with nitrogen gas (this process is called nitrogen flushing). Nitrogen does not affect the taste of the chips or react with the chips like oxygen does. This increases the shelf life of the chips. The nitrogen gas fills up the bag, so the contents inside are protected during shipping. If the bags were filled with oxygen it could have spoiled the product and made it soggy.
More Info:
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What are your thoughts on this subject?
55 Comments
kopackorl
Helium and hydrogen, being rarer and harder to maintain, are not practical for food storage use. Because our atmosphere is approximately 80% Nitrogen and therefore, abundant and cheap, it makes sense to use an inert gas for food storage.
Kc Furr
Hydrogen is a little dangerous to use in food packaging, think "Hindenburg".
Carmine-James Pitaniello
Renee Verrill lol Renee, having a visual of you sucking the helium out of the bag of chips and sounding like a Munchkin from Oz....lol.
Renee Verrill
Plus with enough helium-we could have floating chips. Now that would be fun.
kopackorl
It is a packing thing. Extra bag volume allows for proper packing to prevent crushing of the product. Products are sold by weight and not volume, therefore some settling of contents may occur during shipping and handling.
james parrillo
I like that the possible answers included the elements that could be packed, if the answer was not "Yes". This is a true/false question that the author made a four-option question. It enhances the question. If the answer was false, then quiz members would want to know the alternative. This tests the science knowledge of the players. I chose helium as my final answer, knowing oxygen causes oxidation, even a few minutes after cutting an apple. Imagine. People have found a way to isolate most elements easily enough to use them for packaging. Thank you, Christine, James's wife.
Weaver Cynthia
A logical answer, even though I did not know this.
Raymond Hodge
The answer should be " yes or no". The question doesn't ask what the bag is filled with.
Raymond Hodge
Carmine-James Pitaniello, what is wrong with munchkin from OZ?
Suraya Choudhury
I put Yes !
Chris Braid
A Good question with a great pic that translated 'potato chip bag' into the (UK) English 'crisp packet'!
Corey Taylor
Kc Furr, So jalapeno-flavored chips would explode in shipping, and who said helium? You'd never get them off the store ceiling!
Anna Kovacs
I didn’t know that. I choose hydrogen over nitrogen nad logic.
Syed Hussain
is that not hazardous?
Vonda Summers
Got it
Laurie Bowman
Larry Freeman, why?
Laurie Bowman
Aubree Williams, that's with just about everything
patrhea
So that's why the bag puffs up when warm!🤔
Ed Bona
Isn't nitrogen being used to execute criminals now ?
Bob Bracegirdle
Knew this.