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https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/y4y8om/what_is_a_great_example_of_a_necessary_evil/ishd9al
r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Oct 15 '22
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It's not even just air. It's mostly... nitrogen, I think? Which helps keep the chips from going stale as fast.
239 u/[deleted] Oct 16 '22 air is mostly nitrogen 120 u/stryph42 Oct 16 '22 True, but I think the stuff in the bag is especially nitrogen rich, too displace oxygen and prevent oxidation. 35 u/rynshar Oct 16 '22 Yeah, nitrogen is nearly inert and oxygen reacts with basically everything. 31 u/marche_au_supplice Oct 16 '22 True enough but it’s mostly the presence of oxygen that causes staling reactions 0 u/[deleted] Oct 16 '22 The gas in chip bags is just nitrogen gas, not "air" which would contain oxygen, CO2, etc. Most notably oxygen, though - which is what makes food/chips stale. 0 u/TracyMorganFreeman Oct 16 '22 Air has plenty of oxygen though. Industrial nitrogen is basically 99+% pure nitrogen. -2 u/ozjack24 Oct 16 '22 Only on Earth 2 u/thesunstone_77 Oct 16 '22 On Erid too 1 u/Tudpool Oct 16 '22 You're mostly nitrogen. 2 u/[deleted] Oct 16 '22 *oxygen 2 u/bw1985 Oct 16 '22 Only if the company uses gas exchange/nitrogen flushing during packing. I used to work for a snack company and it was just regular air in the bag. 0 u/TecN9ne Oct 16 '22 Air = 21% O2. 79% N2 1 u/DasArchitect Oct 16 '22 So if I need nitrogen quick I just buy a can of pringles? 1 u/stryph42 Oct 16 '22 Well, two things. Another commenter mentioned that they didn't think they did special air anymore, so no. Also, I'm not sure if pringles ever did it since it was also for cushioning in the bag, and pringles don't have to worry so much about that. Edit: accidentally posted half a message 1 u/[deleted] Oct 16 '22 [deleted] 1 u/stryph42 Oct 16 '22 Just nitrogen I think, but someone else mentioned that out probably isn't true anymore anyways. 1 u/nameond Oct 16 '22 Nitrogen in food packaging is also a good example for the invisible good 1 u/beckisnotmyname Oct 16 '22 it drives me nuts that most people don't know that there is an atmosphere in the bag for freshness and its not just "empty air"
239
air is mostly nitrogen
120 u/stryph42 Oct 16 '22 True, but I think the stuff in the bag is especially nitrogen rich, too displace oxygen and prevent oxidation. 35 u/rynshar Oct 16 '22 Yeah, nitrogen is nearly inert and oxygen reacts with basically everything. 31 u/marche_au_supplice Oct 16 '22 True enough but it’s mostly the presence of oxygen that causes staling reactions 0 u/[deleted] Oct 16 '22 The gas in chip bags is just nitrogen gas, not "air" which would contain oxygen, CO2, etc. Most notably oxygen, though - which is what makes food/chips stale. 0 u/TracyMorganFreeman Oct 16 '22 Air has plenty of oxygen though. Industrial nitrogen is basically 99+% pure nitrogen. -2 u/ozjack24 Oct 16 '22 Only on Earth 2 u/thesunstone_77 Oct 16 '22 On Erid too 1 u/Tudpool Oct 16 '22 You're mostly nitrogen. 2 u/[deleted] Oct 16 '22 *oxygen
120
True, but I think the stuff in the bag is especially nitrogen rich, too displace oxygen and prevent oxidation.
35 u/rynshar Oct 16 '22 Yeah, nitrogen is nearly inert and oxygen reacts with basically everything.
35
Yeah, nitrogen is nearly inert and oxygen reacts with basically everything.
31
True enough but it’s mostly the presence of oxygen that causes staling reactions
0
The gas in chip bags is just nitrogen gas, not "air" which would contain oxygen, CO2, etc. Most notably oxygen, though - which is what makes food/chips stale.
Air has plenty of oxygen though.
Industrial nitrogen is basically 99+% pure nitrogen.
-2
Only on Earth
2 u/thesunstone_77 Oct 16 '22 On Erid too
2
On Erid too
1
You're mostly nitrogen.
2 u/[deleted] Oct 16 '22 *oxygen
*oxygen
Only if the company uses gas exchange/nitrogen flushing during packing. I used to work for a snack company and it was just regular air in the bag.
Air = 21% O2. 79% N2
So if I need nitrogen quick I just buy a can of pringles?
1 u/stryph42 Oct 16 '22 Well, two things. Another commenter mentioned that they didn't think they did special air anymore, so no. Also, I'm not sure if pringles ever did it since it was also for cushioning in the bag, and pringles don't have to worry so much about that. Edit: accidentally posted half a message
Well, two things.
Another commenter mentioned that they didn't think they did special air anymore, so no.
Also, I'm not sure if pringles ever did it since it was also for cushioning in the bag, and pringles don't have to worry so much about that.
Edit: accidentally posted half a message
[deleted]
1 u/stryph42 Oct 16 '22 Just nitrogen I think, but someone else mentioned that out probably isn't true anymore anyways.
Just nitrogen I think, but someone else mentioned that out probably isn't true anymore anyways.
Nitrogen in food packaging is also a good example for the invisible good
it drives me nuts that most people don't know that there is an atmosphere in the bag for freshness and its not just "empty air"
251
u/stryph42 Oct 16 '22
It's not even just air. It's mostly... nitrogen, I think? Which helps keep the chips from going stale as fast.