Long Term Food Storage Using Mylar Bags
& Oxygen Absorbers
(Reprinted from Optimum Emergency.com)
CLICK HERE to see all Mylar Bags, Oxygen Absorbers, Desiccant & Heat Sealer
However, there are some other excellent options for customizing how you store your food by doing it yourself. Or you may want to just add some special items to your food storage that aren’t in your ready-made food storage systems. Optimum Preparedness is excited to be offering the materials that use the latest technologies to allow you to do your own emergency long term food storage packaging. It is simple, safe and it lasts a long time.
Please read on to find out more about the great products we offer and how to do it yourself. You can package the food you want the way the professionals do it.
Remember, we are always glad to answer any questions you may have and assist you with recommendations regarding your specific food storage needs.
Do It Yourself Food Storage
Mylar Bags
Many people line the 5 gallon pail with a 20.0" x 30.0" Mylar Foil bag and place dry food products in there for long term storage. Another option would be to consider placing numerous pre-packed smaller pouches inside.
Not Just For Food Storage
Mylar bags used in conjunction with oxygen absorbers are also a great way to preserve important books and other papers. We also sell a specially sized mylar foil bag that will accommodate rifles and shotguns. The mylar foil oxygen barrier bag is 12" x 60".See item # H12MGB60 in our How To Hide Anything section.
http://www.bonanza.com/listings/15-5-Gallon-20x30-Mylar-Pro-Foil-Barrier-Bags-15-2000cc-Oxygen-Absorbers/42780668
http://www.sorbentsystems.com/mylar.html
Oxygen Absorbers
These packets eliminate the presence of oxygen in foodstuffs such as grain and milk powder, ensuring long-term shelf stability. They are commonly seen in beef jerky where they prevent mold while eliminating the use of chemical preservative and have been used by the US military to extend the shelf-life of bread for combat troops to up to two years.Note: For information on how to make your own Oxygen absorbers - see earlier post on this blog
How much oxygen absorbent capacity do you need for standard containers?
We recommend 2000cc’s of oxygen absorbing capacity for 5 and 6 gallon pails. Thus, you could use 5 individual 300cc packets, or 3 individual 500 cc packets or 2 individual 750 cc packets. It is more cost effective (i.e. cheaper for you) to use 2 750cc packets rather than 3 of the 500cc packets per bucket, so we don’t sell the 500cc packets. We are watching out for you!For a one gallon pail, jar or Mylar bag we recommend using one 300 cc oxygen absorber.
Concerned about humidity? Use a desiccant
If you are concerned about humidity affecting your food product (rice, wheat, beans and other dry grains.....) we have a clearly established protocol and procedure for providing a solution for this problem.One to two individual 1 oz. packets of desiccant should be placed in the bottom of your Mylar Foil™ bag prior to filling with product. The oxygen absorber is then placed on top of the grain or beans for sealing. Note: This is the recommended procedure for the 20.0" x 30.0" bag (P/N: # F20MFS30) that is designed for 5 and 6 gallon pails. For some products that are already extremely dry and for which concern is minimal, you may use one packet.
For the smaller barrier bags (10" x 14" and 10" x 16") we recommend two of the 5.5 gram packets. Each packet is marked "1/6" on the outside.
IMPORTANT: The desiccant packets must be placed at the bottom of the pail or barrier bag or in the middle of the food products. The desiccant bags must not be close to the oxygen absorbers. Desiccants will negatively affect the performance of the oxygen absorber when close by. We supply desiccant bags made from Tyvek. Tyvek is a material acceptable for food product contact.
Sealing the Mylar Bags Properly
The mylar bags must be sealed properly for the whole thing to work as expected. You’ve got the food, the mylar bag that is more air-proof than a bucket, the oxygen absorber (or the CO2 gas purge and replacement) that will remove all the air so your food won’t go bad, but if you don’t seal that bag properly all your effort goes down the drain. Because the mylar bag is made out of a multi-layer material you CANNOT use a regular Food Saver or Seal A Meal unit to seal these bags. Those units just don’t reach a high enough temperature to do the job.We have used, and found them to be EASY and quite effective - clothes irons. They get very hot and seal with ease leaving an air-proof sealed bag. Make sure you use the Linen or Cotton setting (cordless irons won’t work because they can’t sustain the high heat long enough – you need to be up at 400 degrees Farenheit or 204 degrees Celsius) For most irons, Linen is the highest setting, so that will be your best choice with an iron. (Instructions for using an iron are just below the info on the heat sealer.)
Note: using the home iron works quite well, we were able to get great results using this method our first time. It produced a thick, airtight seal.
Options for Food Storage
Storage for Grains, Rice, Beans etc....
1. Food storage in a 5-6 Gallon Pail:
The Bag
Mylar Foil bag 20" x 30" – this bag fits inside a 5 or 6 gallon pail and needs to be used with oxygen absorbers and then heat sealed. Most companies selling pre–packaged grains use this bag when packing grains and other foods.4.3 mil thickness Food Grade FDA approved mylar foil oxygen barrier bag
(order item # F20MFS30)
The Oxygen Absorbers
2 750cc oxygen absorbers for items like wheat, rice, whole oats and other grains and beans that pack fairly tight in a bucket will be sufficient for a minimum TWO YEAR shelf life. You could also use 5 of the 300cc oxygen absorbers (5 x 300cc = 1500cc). For food such as pasta, pet food and items that have a higher amount of residual air use the 2000cc oxygen absorbers. It is OK to use the 2000cc oxygen absorber in a bucket of wheat, rice and other items that use 2 750cc absorbers.750 cc oxygen absorbers, 25 per bag, use 2 per pail (order item # FOAP750/25)
2000 cc oxygen absorbers, 10 per bag, use 1 per pail (order item # FOAP2000/10)
The Desiccant
One to two individual 1 oz. packets of desiccant should be placed in the bottom of your Mylar Foil™ bag prior to filling with product. The oxygen absorber is then placed on top of the grain or beans for sealing. For some products that are already extremely dry and for which concern is minimal, you may use one packet per pailDesiccant 1 oz each - Pak of 50 (order item # F205050PK01)
The Optimum Hi-Temp Heat Sealer
Heat sealers are critical to provide a proper barrier to oxygen for barrier bags. We recommend the 6-inch "constant heat" Clam type hot jaw heat sealer. The jaws are sufficient to close any type of heat sealable multi-layer structure. They can be used to seal the standard 20" x 30" barrier bag used in the five-gallon pails as well as the smaller bags.The Optimum Hi-Temp Hot Jaw Heat Sealer (order item # FIPKHS606T)
2. Food storage in a bag only in lieu of using a 5-6 Gallon Pail
The Bag
If you have a space or storage limitations, you can use this bag all by itself with no bucket or pail! The 20" x 30" PAKDRY7500 bag is made from Ultra high oxygen barrier Mylar Foil that is 7.5 mil and an FDA approved structure. This bag holds the same amount as a 5 or 6 gallon pail.7.5 mil thickness Food Grade FDA approved mylar foil oxygen barrier bag
order item # FP75C2030)
The Oxygen Absorbers
Use the 2000cc oxygen absorber when using this bag without a pail whether you are storing grains, beans, etc or things like pastas.2000 cc oxygen absorbers, 10 per bag, use 1 per pail (order item # FOAP2000/10)
IMPORTANT: Without the additional barrier of the plastic pail, it is important to use a 2000cc absorber to insure long term product quality.
The Desiccant
One to two individual 1 oz. packets of desiccant should be placed in the bottom of your Mylar Foil™ bag prior to filling with product. The oxygen absorber is then placed on top of the grain or beans for sealing. For some products that are already extremely dry and for which concern is minimal, you may use one packet.Desiccant 1 oz each - Pak of 50 (order item # F205050PK01)
The Optimum Hi-Temp Heat Sealer
Heat sealers are critical to provide a proper barrier to oxygen for barrier bags. We recommend the 6-inch "constant heat" Clam type hot jaw heat sealer. The jaws are sufficient to close any type of heat sealable multi-layer structure. They can be used to seal the standard 20" x 30" barrier bag used in the five-gallon pails as well as the smaller bags.The Optimum Hi-Temp Hot Jaw Heat Sealer (order item # FIPKHS606T)
3. Storage for 1 gallon volume (approximately equivalent to a #10 can)
The Bag
You can use either one of these 2 bags, which each hold the same volume as a #10 can which is equivalent in volume to a 1 gallon jar. This will be approximately 7.5 pounds of grains or beans.Mylar Foil® bag 10" x 16" - 5.0 mil FDA Approved Material and equivalent in volume to a #10 can. (order item # F10VF4C16)
Mylar Foil® bag 10" x 14" - 3.5 mil FDA Approved Material and equivalent in volume to a one gallon container (order item # F35M1014)
The Oxygen Absorbers
For 10x16 or 10x14 bags (equivalent to #10 cans or a 1 gallon container), use 1 300cc oxygen absorber.300 cc Oxygen Absorbers for #10 Cans & Gal Jars, 50 per bag (order item # FOAP300/50)
The Optimum Hi-Temp Heat Sealer
Heat sealers are critical to provide a proper barrier to oxygen for barrier bags. We recommend the 6-inch "constant heat" Clam type hot jaw heat sealer. The jaws are sufficient to close any type of heat sealable multi-layer structure. They can be used to seal the standard 20" x 30" barrier bag used in the five-gallon pails as well as the smaller bags.The Optimum Hi-Temp Hot Jaw Heat Sealer (order item # FIPKHS606T)
ROTATE YOUR FOOD STORAGE!
Hi Temp Heat Sealers
Heat sealers are critical to provide a proper barrier to oxygen for barrier bags. We recommend the 6-inch "constant heat" Clam type hot jaw heat sealer. There are heat sealers out there that are fancier and that cost double the price, but this one does the job that needs to be done, and is designed to be used with the mylar foil oxygen barrier bags that you use for Long Term Food Storage. The jaws are sufficient to close any type of heat sealable multi-layer structure. They can be used to seal the standard 20" x 30" barrier bag used in the five-gallon pails as well as the smaller bags.
Hot Jaw Heat Sealer (order item # FIPKHS606T)
Note: FoodSaver and Seal-A-Meal vacuum sealers do NOT reach a high enough temperature to seal the mylar foil bags. You will not get a seal that will hold. Those vacuum sealers are designed specifically for the clear plastic bags sold to be used with them. They do make vacuum sealers that would work but a low end one is $1500 and they jump immediately into the $3500-$4500 range.
An alternative but not as easy way to seal the bags is to use your steam iron (with steam off) on the Linen or Cotton setting (cordless irons won’t work because they can’t sustain the high heat long enough – you need to up at 400 degrees Farenheit or 204 degrees Celsius) For most irons, Linen is the highest setting, so that will be your best choice with an iron. (For instructions on how to use your iron to seal the mylar bags CLICK HERE)
The Heat Sealing Process Illustrated
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CLICK HERE to see all Mylar Bags, Oxygen Absorbers, Desiccant & Heat Sealer
Mylar Foil® Oxygen Barrier Bags
In the food processing area, these bags are known as oxygen barrier bags. Many people refer to them as Mylar® Foil bags because the outer layer of the bag is Mylar® Foil, which is a brand name for the DuPont Corporation's polyester film.
OXYGEN BARRIER BAGS (Mylar®FOIL BAGS) will greatly increase the shelf stability of your food products. Polyethylene pails are not a true oxygen barrier by themselves. The oxygen transmission rate (OTR) is critical. For example, our bags have a transmission rate of 0.001 cc's of oxygen per square meter per 24 hours. A clear Mylar®/poly bag is 0.5 cc's/ square meter/ 24 hours. This means the Mylar/poly bag is 500 (FIVE HUNDRED!) times greater.
WARNING: Some companies and people will try to tell you that clear "FOODSAVER" bags are good for long term storage. THEY ARE NOT. For long term food storage you should use the mylar foil oxygen barrier bags.
How do I know if I have the right type of Mylar Foil™ bags?
This is an extremely good question. The Mylar® foil bags that are used for long-term food storage were originally designed for exporting Macadamia nuts in bulk. This bag is 4.3 mils thick and appears to look like aluminum foil. Although the Mylar® foil layer is transparent, long-term food storage bags are NEVER transparent. Here at Optimum Preparedness we sell only FDA approved food grade mylar foil oxygen barrier bags made for long term food storage.
Another type of Mylar® Foil with which many consumers are familiar is the "Mylar® Foil balloon" that is often sold at supermarkets for birthdays and other occasions. The industrial name for the Mylar® Foil balloon material (NOT the same as the bags we sell!!) is metalized polyester. This is product mostly cosmetic and has minimal oxygen barrier properties.
Any concerned individual should be very wary of an organization trying to promote "transparent" barrier bags as a food storage bag. Long-term food storage should never be one of them. (One good example to watch for is the US Military MRE products. The packaging material used to produce the MREs has a very high oxygen barrier.)
What is the worst that can happen if I do not use a Mylar Foil™ bag inside my pail?
First the plastic pail is not an oxygen barrier (like a #10 can is) so there is a slow transmission of oxygen through the polyethylene walls of the container over time. According to grain processors, the most common problem is insect infestation. Nothing will eliminate this as certainly as an oxygen barrier bag and an oxygen absorber. (Gas flushing will always leave 2-5% oxygen minimum.)
Also, since the oxygen absorber will actually remove 20.5 % of the air that is within the container, it is possible for the absorber to pull in the wall of the container (the vacuum effect) to such a degree that the lid separates from the pail.
IMPORTANT: IF THE LID, WHICH SHOULD HAVE A GASKET, SEPARATES FROM THE BUCKET ENOUGH TO CREATE EVEN A VERY VERY SMALL OPENING THE OXYGEN ABSORBER WILL BE DEPLETED WITHIN 72 hours MAXIMUM. THIS IS WHY THE HIGH QUALITY FOOD PACKERS USE A 4.3 MIL Mylar BAG INSIDE THEIR PLASTIC PAILS.
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