Nitrogen in Food Packaging: Insights from Pack Expo Las Vegas

A couple weeks ago, the MilCarb team attended Pack Expo in Las Vegas, one of the largest trade shows in the packaging industry. The event highlighted how technologies we often associate with beverages, like nitrogen, are now transforming the way food is packaged, stored and enjoyed.

Nitrogen's Expanding Role

In the food packaging world, oxygen is both a friend and foe. While it's essential for life, it can be destructive to food products, driving oxidation, microbial growth, and flavor loss. That's where nitrogen comes in.

By displacing oxygen in packaging, nitrogen helps extend shelf life, preserve freshness, and maintain product quality. From crunchy snacks to delicate dairy powders, nitrogen has become a critical tool for keeping foods safe and stable.

How Foods Differ in Oxygen Tolerance

Different foods have very different sensitivities to oxygen. For example:

Dry Snacks: Highly susceptible to rancidity. Packaging requires oxygen levels <2% with nitrogen purities around 99.5%

Nuts & Seeds: Prone to high oil oxidation, often packaged with nitrogen (99.5-99.9%) plus oxygen scavengers.

Coffee: Aroma and flavor can deteriorate quickly. Nitrogen is used with one way valve packaging to release CO2 without letting oxygen in.

Fresh Produce: Typically needs nitrogen blended with CO2 to slow browning and microbial activity.

Cheese and Meats: Often packaged in N2/CO2 blends. The CO2 helps with microbial control while nitrogen stabilizes the packages.

These requirements underscore the precision needed in packaging gases. A one size fits all approach doesn't work. Each product has its own unique "sweet spot" when it comes to gas composition.

The Art of the Blend

While nitrogen alone is powerful, many foods benefit from a blend of nitrogen and CO2. For instance, fresh meat packaging often uses CO2 for microbial control, while nitrogen keeps oxygen levels low and maintains package integrity. Some beef even requires a touch of oxygen to preserve its bright red color. The key is balance - selecting the right mix for the product, its storage and its shelf life expectations.

Why This Matters to MilCarb

At MilCarb, our focus has always been on providing high quality beverage gas solutions. The Pack Expo reminded us that gas technology is much bigger than beverages. The same purity and reliability that make a perfect draft beer possible are also helping extend the shelf life of cheese, coffee, snacks, and countless other foods.

The crossover between industries shows just how important precision gas delivery is whether its a cold pint of beer or a bag of roasted coffee.

Looking Ahead

Pack Expo offered a valuable look into how food and beverage packaging are evolving and how nitrogen continues to drive innovation in both spaces.

Our next stop was the GAWDA Annual Convention, where we shared more about MilCarb's role in pushing gas technology forward both inside and outside the beverage world. New blog coming next week about our time there! Stay tuned!

Cheers!