New Nanostructured Snack Packaging Is Most Airtight Ever

[ryanjoachim]

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-03/new-clay-based-nanostructured-food-packaging-could-extend-snacks?-shelf-life

Excerpt from the article:

According to Jaime Grunlan, who developed the material, it is "truly the most oxygen-impermeable film in existence," as impervious to air as glass is.

If this takes off, I wonder what it could mean for expiration dates?

[packetjones]

Link is broken... Nano-tech in snack wrappers... what is the world coming to?

Whatever it is, it will be fresh.

[WilliamM2]

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-03/new-clay-based-nanostructured-food-packaging-could-extend-snacks%E2%80%99-shelf-life

[Airplay355]

1) there are plenty of anaerobic bacteria who would have no problem munching without oxygen.
2) bacteria wouldn't eat the kind of snacks in these wrappers if it was their last choice. anyone ever find a moldy twinkie or bag of dorritos? that stuff is barely food. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sallydavies/5059592657

[bobman1235]

Taht stupid Sally Davies experiment has been debunked a million times, but no one cares to listen if it doesn't reconfirm what they already believe. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/05/mcdonalds-happy-meal-photos-6-months_n_761364.html#s155972

And just because something doesn't show mold doesn't mean it's not bad. Ever had anything go stale? Including your aforementioned Doritos? Leave a bag of Doritos open for even 24 hours and they'll be horrible and chewy.

[Airplay355]

They go stale because of absorbing water. Chips are dry and crispy, wet chips are chewy. You can still eat wet chips though.

Regardless of the stupid experiment, my point remains that has anyone ever encountered a moldy bag of dorritos or something like a twinkie? Snacks just don't go bad, there are too many preservatives and antioxidants to keep them in the shape they are supposed to be.

[bobman1235]

My only point was "preservatives and antioxidants", while likely not the greatest things for you, are the least of your problems if you're eating those types of food. And regardless of shelf life, they are still food. I've never encountered a moldy can of peas either, and those are just a vegetable and salt in a can.

[Airplay355]

I'm pretty sure can's are packaged under vacuum conditions, so not only is oxygen not there, but nothing is there.

I wouldn't consider Doritos food but I guess that's a personal opinion. You could eat cat food, but that doesn't make it food. Doritos certainly don't offer any nutritional value other than simple caloric intake.

I brought up Doritos because in the article they mentioned packaging with foil because metal isn't oxygen permeable like their new clay packaging. I'm guessing a bag of Doritos already lasts for a year at the very least. How much longer do we really need things like Doritos to last? I'm sure they will find better uses for it than food packaging.

[nadams]

Working for a snack food manufacturer, I can tell you this - we're always on the lookout for new technology to extend shelf life. Longer shelf life means less wasted product that has to be "stale'd out" and disposed of.

One of the most difficult of our products to keep fresh are just regular potato chips. This is because they consist of potatos, oil, and salt. While salt is a preservative, we have to make sure that the bag is sealed as tightly as possible to keep moisture out. This is also why we flush ALL of our snack food bags with Nitrogen instead of "regular" air.

Oh, and all those preservatives you see on flavored chips and corn products are in the seasoning, not the chip itself... so they really do nothing to keep the underlying chip fresh.

[bobman1235]

Not everything is open to opinion. Food is a well-defined word, and by the definition, nearly anything you eat that you get ANYTHING from (energy, nutrients, etc) is food. Saying just because something isn't healthy or natural it isn't food is silly. Iceberg lettuce is a vegetable, a food by ANYONE'S definition, but it's nearly completely devoid of calories, vitamins, anything. Is lettuce not food?

Blah blah, this is way off-topic. A wrapper that can more effectively block air will also block moisture and will keep near any food "fresh" longer, regardless of how you want to bastardize the words "fresh" or "food" to fit some kind of anti-junk food agenda.

[shack]

I don't care what anyone else says...the following items are FOOD:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fb/MoonPie_logo_trademark.png

http://www.photographyblogger.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/oreo3.jpg

Along with MILK...the real stuff...from cows! Not that soy s@#t...:rolleyes:

[bobman1235]

I had Almond milk for the first time the other day. It was DELICIOUS.

[Airplay355]

I don't have an anti-junk food agenda, I don't care what people eat, it has no effect on me.

I just figured better uses would be found for this film than keeping chips fresh.

[nadams]

I had Almond milk for the first time the other day. It was DELICIOUS.

How do you milk an almond?

[exalted512]

You can milk anything with nipples.
-Cody

[nadams]

You can milk anything with nipples.
-Cody

Almonds have nipples?

[bobman1235]

How do you milk an almond?

It's made with ground-up almond and water I think, it just has the consistency of milk.

I'm not a vegan weirdo (I like cow's milk just fine) I was just looking for something lower calorie and it was on sale so I gave it a shot. It's really yummy. And like, half the calories / fat of milk.

[brettw22]

I had almond milk a month or two ago and I have to say that stuff was ridiculously good.

Soy milk is blah, but there is the obligatory sugar content in there, but vanilla almond is pretty tasty......

[ryanjoachim]

Wtf...flavored milk?

I'll have to look for that at the store...

[nadams]

Wtf...flavored milk?

I'll have to look for that at the store...

It's called coffee creamer :tongue:

[Kenneth Swauger]

Try the dark chocolate almond juice (aka milk), yum!

[Face]

Try the dark chocolate almond juice (aka milk), yum!That's the only almond milk I'm fond of.

[ryanjoachim]

Just tried the Vanilla-flavored milk, and it's really not that bad. Kind of tastes like Slim-Fast...certainly makes cereal a little more interesting.

I think I'll stick with regular milk from now on, but it wasn't a bad experience.