Staying Fresh With Nitrogen

It makes up 78% of the air you breathe and is one of the main nutrients required by all living organisms on the planet, but nitrogen is vital to so much more than just your vitality. When considered in industrial terms, the use of nitrogen trade gas cylinders is in high percentages for a range of sectors and continually on the rise, from manufacturing stainless steel to producing pharmaceuticals.

However, one of the key areas where nitrogen plays an elemental role is in the preparation, preservation and packaging of food and wine, ready for supermarkets and grocers.

 

How is Nitrogen used with Food and Wine?

Companies will purchase trade gas cylinders in bulk to manually alter the atmosphere in which their food and wine products are stored – from walk-in fridges to warehouses – whether in raw or packaged form. This is to stop food products from expiring and therefore becoming unfit for sale.

Why does Nitrogen work for this process?

The gas fulfils the same purpose as it does in the regular atmosphere, but to a further extent. If an organism were to respire in an atmosphere of 100% oxygen, it would be poisoned and expire. The addition of nitrogen gas is to further reduce the concentration of oxygen without interfering with it, in order to create a comfortable atmosphere for organisms to survive. This is due to nitrogen being an inert gas and one of the six noble gases, which means it does not chemically react with a high majority of chemical elements and compounds, including oxygen.

In the case of food and wine preservation, a retailer would desire a storage atmosphere that would not allow for oxidisation to occur at all. This means that they would require a higher concentration of nitrogen to purge moisture and ensure that their food products do not spoil, particularly animal products such as meat and dairy, which naturally contain micro-organisms and would be a hospitable environment for mould and bacteria.

Why Nitrogen instead of another gas?

While is true that other gases would be able to fulfil the role of nitrogen in many industrial practices, nitrogen is commonly used due to its abundance and also being relatively inexpensive to businesses. As it is in the air, nitrogen gas is colourless, tasteless and odourless, meaning it will not disturb working environments, unlike other alternatives. As for nitrogen providers, the gas is easy to isolate, purify and store for a low cost.

We at Adams Gas take great pride in being the original rent-free bottle supplier for a number of gases, including nitrogen. We provide a range of trade gas cylinder sizes, from 2L through to 50L, to cater for storage and refrigeration needs. Many of our customers choose us for a guaranteed cost-effective solution without continual rent charges, meaning you can control what you spend.

If you would like to further discuss our nitrogen gas products, please contact us today, or visit our Nitrogen For Food & Wine Preservation section to find further details on our products.