Vacuum packing is integral to many food processing businesses and commercial kitchens, from extending shelf life and storing food hygienically to preventing freezer burn and shrinkage.
However, most commercial operators do not understand how vacuum packers work and, therefore, how to fix consistent issues with punctures.
How Does a Chamber Vacuum Packer Work?
A chamber vacuum packer works by drawing the air out of the bag. Once the required vacuum level has been reached, the machine seals the pouch before admitting air back into the chamber.
As the chamber returns to atmospheric pressure, the pressure outside the sealed pouch causes the film to fit closely around the product. With standard aeration, this happens relatively quickly. This could potentially crush delicate products or puncture the bag.
What is the Soft Air Function?
Soft Air is a controlled aeration function available on specific chamber vacuum packers. Once the pouch has been evacuated and sealed, the machine gradually allows air back into the chamber rather than all at once. This “controlled aeration” or “gradual re-pressurisation” allows the pouch to settle around the product in a slower, more controlled way.
A soft air vacuum packer does not lower the level of vacuum achieved inside the sealed pouch itself. It controls how quickly pressure is restored outside the sealed pouch. A machine using standard aeration and one using Soft Air can achieve the same final vacuum, but the film forms around the product differently.
Which Foods Benefit from Soft Air?
Soft Air is particularly useful for products that are sharp, fragile, or easily distorted.
Products with sharp features can include:
- Bone-in joints, chops and other meat products.
- Whole fish and portions containing bones or fins.
- Shellfish.
- Kebabs, satays and other skewered products.
Gradual repressurisation reduces the risk of the pouch being pressed abruptly against sharp protrusions, helping to prevent punctures and loss of vacuum.
Soft or delicate products can include:
- Soft cheeses such as brie.
- Tender cooked meats.
- Certain soft fruits and vegetables.
- Prepared foods whose shape is important to their presentation.
Controlled bag formation can help these products retain their shape instead of being visibly compressed. However, not every delicate food should be packed at a maximum vacuum level. Depending on the product, a lower vacuum or gas-flushing system may provide better protection.
What Are the Benefits?
Equipping your room with a soft air vacuum packer can bring some important benefits:
- Fewer punctured pouches: It can reduce bag damage around bones, shells, and skewers.
- Better presentation: Delicate products are less likely to become visibly crushed or distorted.
- Less rework: Fewer punctured bags can mean less time spent repacking products.
- Reduced food waste: Protecting the pouch and product may reduce waste caused by punctures and crushing.
- Greater flexibility: The machine can accommodate a broader mixture of firm, sharp, and delicate products.
- More consistent results: Repeatable machine programmes can help different operators obtain similar results.
What Soft Air Cannot Replace
While Soft Air is a valuable feature, it does not compensate for poor packaging practices. Businesses must still consider:
- Pouch selection: Choose a pouch with suitable thickness, construction, and puncture resistance for the product.
- Bone protection: Particularly sharp bones may still require a bone guard or protective material.
- Product positioning: Keep the product and contamination away from the pouch area that will be sealed.
- A clean seal area: Moisture, grease, folds, or food particles can produce a weak or incomplete seal.
- Correct vacuum settings: The highest possible vacuum is not suitable for every product.
- Liquid control: Moist products can boil as chamber pressure falls. A liquid-control function detects this stage and moves the machine to the next part of the cycle.
- Gas flushing (MAP): Some fragile products need a protective gas cushion rather than a pouch that fits tightly around them.
Soft Air is an operational feature rather than a standalone food safety control. Safe shelf life still depends on suitable ingredients, hygienic handling, temperature control, packaging, and a validated production process.
Do You Need Soft Air?
A machine with Soft Air is worth considering if your business regularly packs bone-in meat, whole fish/shellfish, skewered food, or delicate products. It can be very valuable where presentation is important or where damaged bags create high repacking costs.
If most of your products are firm, boneless, and resistant to deformation, standard chamber aeration may be sufficient.
Availability varies by range. Soft Air is standard on models such as the Henkelman Boxer 42, while it may be optional on other machines. Always check the specifications of the precise model.
Explore SMS Food’s range of commercial vacuum packers, or contact our team for advice.