How we store food is essential. Everyone’s trying to get the best bang for their buck – why get a week out of that expensive granola from the farmer’s market when a month would be more attractive to customers? We learned during the pandemic that a little goes a long way because who doesn’t remember supply chain issues? And if you’re like us, being ahead of the curve or having your cabinets stocked for a rainy day is never bad.
For any business, adequate packaging is critical for long-term storage success. One of the most effective ways to store food is using mylar bags, and Mylar has become the go-to for most companies looking to show off their products with a flair for the fancy yet utilitarian.
What’s a mylar bag or pouch?
Mylar is crafted from layers of laminated food-grade plastic and aluminum. The food doesn’t interact with the aluminum because a food-safe lining separates it. This combo of layers establishes a barrier guarding light, moisture, and oxygen against whatever’s in the bag. Businesses love Mylar because it’s strong and it’s flexible.
Which foods should I store in Mylar bags?
You can store anything in Mylar, but a few things excel due to low moisture. There are some less apparent selections out there. What’s important is that anything stored in Mylar is dry, and you include an oxygen absorber because the more moisture and fat a food has, the less time it can sit on the shelf.
Because of their moisture content, things like nuts or brown rice can only be kept for a year, while beef jerky or crackers can last up to three years. (If roasted coffee beans are kept in the freezer, their shelf life extends, too.) Unless dehydrated, nuts, meat, or beans will go rancid fast.
But, there are obvious choices for mylar storage due to their low moisture content. And for anyone selling their heritage long grain rice or local honeycomb, Mylar can be the way to go for prolonged preservation when storing things like the following:
- White rice
- Wheat
- Flour
- Sugar
- Oats
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Honey
- SaltCoffee (instant)
- Freeze-dried fruit and vegetables
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Lima beans
- Noodles
- Pasta
- Tea (bags or loose)
- Alfalfa
- Granola
- Herbs (whole)
- Mung beans
- Quinoa
- Peppercorns (whole)
- Peanut butter powder
- Powdered eggs
- Rye
- Unbleached flour
- Wheat flakes
If you’re a company of any size looking to package your top-secret honey granola recipe, roasted coffee beans, or artisanal peanut powder, let’s talk. Mylar bags are a great way to store food from the farmer’s market or on the shelf at a big box store. Plus, thanks to our digital printing capabilities, they’re customizable to fit your brand’s vision. Whatever your goals are for your product, there’s a packaging solution waiting for you, and ePac can help see that dream become a reality.
Drop us a line, and we’ll show you some packaging samples that have lifted small businesses into a new world.
