Notions Regarding Vacuum Containers; Notions Regarding Preservation Of Vacuum Packed Food; Approximate Preservation Times - LERICA C254 Manual De Uso Y Mantenimento

Rev. 03 - 07/2015 - Cod. 1501151 - Instruction manual for vacuum chamber packaging machines Mod. C254-C308-C312-C412-C420

6.3 NOtIONS REgaRdINg vaCUUm CONtaINERS

Vacuum containers are useful for preserving products that can be easily crushed as well as for preserving liquids.
Very rigid, specific containers are required for professional use, which are made of stainless steel or glass of
an adequate thickness, which can withstand a high level of vacuum. They have special valves that prevent the
air from entering once again after it has been drawn from the container.
The container is placed, according to its dimensions, directly in the vacuum chamber or outside the machine,
where air can be drawn by means of a special device consisting of a suction pipe and fitting.
Unless specified otherwise by the manufacturer, the vacuum containers are not to be stored in a freezer or
refrigerator at temperatures below 3°C as they could be damaged due to the combination of extremely low
temperatures and mechanical stress due to a high vacuum inside the container.

6.4 NOtIONS REgaRdINg PRESERvatION OF vaCUUm PaCKEd FOOd

Here are a few fundamental rules to be complied with for perfect vacuum preservation.
Do not try to use the system to preserve products that are already altered or poor from a nutritional point of
view: lost quality is not recovered
• Food that is kept for too long at room temperature or that has just been prepared or cooked, loses humidity
and initial quality (colour, smell, taste, etc.) and is more prone to bacterial contamination. It is therefore re-
commended to vacuum pack products that have been cooled to 3 °C in a refrigerator or a blast chiller.
This rule is fundamental in vacuum packing and is also very important for the duration of the vacuum pump:
products that are not cool, let off a significant amount of moisture in the form of water vapour that is drawn,
thereby causing oxidation of the internal surfaces of the pump.
• Food (raw or cooked) must be distributed evenly inside the bag for the air to escape more easily. Do not fill
them excessively so as not to compromise the sealing of the bag and the hermetic tightness. It is good practice
to fill the bags up to 3/4 of their volume.
• Vegetables and fruit must be thoroughly dried after having washed them in order to prevent fluid stagnation,
which could make them limp.
• To preserve meat for a reasonably long time, remember to cool it in the fridge for at least 2 hours in order
to slow down bacterial growth. Dry the meat before vacuum packing it to obtain a good percentage of air
absence. If the meat is on the bone (spare ribs, pork chops, etc), cover it with aluminium foil to prevent the
bag from being torn. Certain types of meat, such as poultry, are not suitable for vacuum preservation as they
naturally contain anaerobic bacteria that could proliferate more easily if the meat is vacuum packed.
• Fish: this must first be washed well; remove the scales; eviscerate by removing the gills; dry it and cool it well just
like meat, before vacuum packing. Preserve it in the refrigerator at a temperature that does not exceed +3°C.
• Hard cheese (Parmesan, Pecorino, etc.): no particular precaution is required, other than wrap the hard parts
that could puncture the bag with aluminium foil. Soft cheese: the gas option or vacuum containers should be
used to prevent them from being crushed.
• Cold cuts: no particular precaution is required.
• Sauces must be pasteurised for 12 minutes. Blast chill them to 3 °C and then pour the product into special
vacuum containers.

aPPROxImatE PRESERvatION tImES

The preservation times provided are purely indicative and depend on the initial quality of the product to be pre-
served, the temperature of preservation, the cooling time in the case of cooked food, the temperature at which
the product has been packed, the level of vacuum reached and the quality of the bag used for vacuum packing.
• Fresh salads: up to 10 days
• Fresh cheese: up to 15 days
• Fresh fish: up to 5 days
• Fresh meat: up to 10 days
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