Why Do Potato Chips Need To Be Inflated Inside Their Packaging? What Are The Benefits Of This Packaging Method? You Will Know After Reading It!

The bag of potato chips swells because it is filled with nitrogen gas that acts as a protective agent. Dried and deflated bagged potato chips are likely to have undergone changes in taste and quality. So, when buying potato chips, you should choose bags that are swollen.
This kind of packaging that looks bloated is called "modified atmosphere packaging". The common production process is to remove the air mainly oxygen from the bag and then inject nitrogen gas. Because the oxygen and moisture in the air can accelerate the spoilage of potato chips, removing the air and filling it with nitrogen can effectively inhibit the oxidation of potato chips and the growth of microorganisms. It can also resist the invasion of external moisture, maintaining the taste and freshness of potato chips. At the same time, modified atmosphere packaging can also ensure that there is enough space in the bag to protect the potato chips. When the potato chips are subjected to external forces, it plays a buffering role to prevent them from being crushed during transportation.

Is nitrogen inside potato chips harmful to humans?

Firstly, this is actually a misunderstanding. Nitrogen is one of the main components of air and is non-toxic and harmless.
The nitrogen gas filled in potato chips is food grade nitrogen, which is a legal food processing aid with a purity of over 99.0%. Meanwhile, nitrogen itself is also one of the main components of air, generally accounting for 78% of the total air volume. Normally, nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, and non-toxic gas. Nitrogen is chemically inert and does not react with potato chips. It should be noted that after the potato chips are opened, the nitrogen inside will run out, while oxygen will "take advantage of the situation". Therefore, potato chips should be consumed as soon as possible after being opened to avoid oxidation and spoilage. If they cannot be consumed in a short period of time, the bag opening should be sealed properly.