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What the Heck are Oxygen Absorbers?

Oxygen Absorbing Packets (also known as Oxygen Absorbers, oxygen scavengers, and oxygen eaters) chemically trap available oxygen from the surrounding environment. Because oxygen is very destructive, Oxygen Absorbers are very useful for a variety of preservation applications, especially long-term food storage and commercial food packaging. They are also frequently used for pharmaceuticals, birdseed and pet food, medicinal herbs and artwork/artefact preservation. Oxygen absorbers are more affordable AND more effective than vacuum packaging and gas flushing, which are the other leading preservation methods.

Oxygen removal preserves without chemicals or additives. They are non-toxic and categorized by the FDA as GRAS. Oxygen absorbers are not a substitute for refrigeration or freezing and should only be used with dry, shelf-stable foods.

Oxygen Absorbers contain an iron powder formulation that becomes iron oxide in the presence of oxygen, chemically removing the oxygen from the environment at a molecular level. An oxygen absorber is like a sponge that will continue to absorb oxygen until full and needs to be kept sealed prior to use to insure it will absorb its full capacity. They come in many sizes and are rated according to how much oxygen they will absorb.

The Proper Way to Use Oxygen Absorbers

The most important precaution is to limit the exposure of unused packets to air. Take out only what you are going to use in the next 15 minutes or so and seal the rest up in a jar with a screw-top lid. Don’t put them in a zip lock bag because they will immediately suck up the residual oxygen and become useless.

Be mindful of the little pink pill. Our oxygen absorbers will always include a little pink pill as an indication of their freshness.

If the pill is blue, the absorbers are toast so don’t use them. However, if they are just starting to turn – not quite pink and not quite blue – they are probably okay since the change of colour can happen in as little as 10 or 15 minutes.

Another good test of their freshness is to pick one up and hold it. It may feel warm. It will also feel soft and powdery, like a little pillow. If it gets really hot and uncomfortable, it is in full-out working mode and has probably been exposed to the air for too long to be usable. In this case, it may also start to feel hard and brick-like. Toss it.

Additional Tips for Using Oxygen Absorbers

If you decide to do some research on your own, prepare to be confused. You will find that some sources recommend you should use a larger quantity of oxygen absorbers when packaging dried pasta and beans versus packaging grains, flours, and rice. The reason for this is that the latter is denser so there is less oxygen to get rid of.

Almost anything can be packaged using oxygen absorbers and they are so inexpensive, that there is no reason not to use them. There are two things, however, that should be packaged without them. They are sugar and salt. Why? Sugar will turn to a brick of concrete and the salt simply does not need anything special to keep it preserved. It might also clump.

A bag sealed with product plus an oxygen absorber may or may not turn brick-like in a day or two or even up to a week. The ability to fully compress is dependent upon factors such as headroom and the amount of air that was sucked out during the sealing process. If you have used an oxygen absorber sufficient for the size of your packaging, the oxygen will be gone. The extra air is simply nitrogen and it will not harm your food. Of course, if it makes you feel better, you could open the package and start all over again but that is not really necessary for anything but your peace of mind.

Do not confuse oxygen absorbers with desiccants. The oxygen absorber removes oxygen and the desiccant removes moisture.

The Final Word

There is no reason that oxygen absorbers should be a big mystery. The reality is that they are super easy to use and are inexpensive to buy. Using them will guarantee that your bulk foods will stay fresh for longer. NOTE: Although they are food-grade absorbers we are selling them for the use of preserving cosmetic items.